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11%. The split drainage from the middle lobe into the right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV) and the right inferior pulmonary vein (RIPV) was observed in 9.63% as the full drainage into the RIPV in 2.96%. Conclusions Long common trunk of left PVs and numerous variants of venous vascularisation of the middle lobe are the variations that may pose potential problems during thoracic surgeries. The frequency is high enough to justify the routine assessment of pulmonary vessels with computed tomography before surgery. 2020 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.Background Various studies have investigated the association between pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer However, how the relationship between TB and lung cancer may differ by age is not yet clear. This study investigated how risk for lung cancer after pulmonary TB may differ by age. Methods This study used the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort in South Korea. We compared 3,776 pulmonary TB patients with 18,880 controls matched for sex and age during the period from 2003 to 2013. We analyzed the incidence of lung cancer after diagnosis of active pulmonary TB. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to calculate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of lung cancer after adjusting for sex, age, house income, and smoking status. Results Among 3,776 pulmonary TB patients, 86 had lung cancer diagnoses, whereas there were 108 lung cancer patients among 18,880 controls. The incidence rate ratio in the pulmonary TB group was 12.26 within 1 year and 3.33 at 1-3.9 years after TB infection, compared to the control group. There was increased risk for lung cancer in pulmonary TB patients compared to controls (HR, 4.18; 95% CI, 3.15-5.56). Compared to patients less then 50 years of age, the risks for lung cancer were HR 9.85, 7.1, 3.32, and 2.57 in patients aged 50-59, 60-69, and ≥70 years, respectively. Conclusions Pulmonary TB is a risk factor for lung cancer. Patients with pulmonary TB should be monitored for subsequent development of lung cancer, particularly in younger patients. 2020 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.Background It is widely accepted that the pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an independent predictor of prognosis in multiple malignancies, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, its predictive value in middle thoracic esophageal carcinoma is still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the preoperative serum levels of NLR in middle thoracic esophageal carcinoma patients to clarify their clinical significance as predictors of prognosis. Methods This study investigated 556 patients with middle thoracic ESCC treated by esophagectomy from January 2010 to December 2012. The prognostic impact of serum NLR level was analyzed. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify the NLR for predicting survival. Correlation between the NLR and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed by χ2 test. Prognostic influence was calculated by using the Kaplan-Meier method and the difference was compared by log-rank test. Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the significant prognostic factors. Results The cutoff value for the NLR was 2.43 ng/mL, the area under the curve was 0.553 (95% CI 0.504-0.601; P=0.035), and the sensitivity and specificity were 53.3% and 58.7% respectively. It is demonstrated that preoperative NLR (P=0.003), T stage (P2.43 ng/mL could serve as an indicator of poor prognosis in middle thoracic ESCC patients after surgical treatment. check details 2020 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.Background Many studies have investigated the association between matrix metalloproteinase polymorphisms and lung cancer susceptibility. However, the results are still controversial. To clarify these associations, we conducted a meta-analysis. Methods A systematic search of studies was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Overall and subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity was conducted. OR with 95% CI was used to assess the strength of the association. Furthermore, false-positive report probability (FPRP) tests were also performed for associations obtained in this meta-analysis. Results Twenty-four studies, including 10,099 cases and 9,395 controls, were analyzed. Nine polymorphisms were reported. For MMP1 -1607 1G/2G and MMP7 -181 A/G, increased lung cancer risk was found in Asians. For MMP2 -1306 C/T and MMP2 -735 C/T, decreased lung cancer risk was found in both "diverse populations" and Asians. For MMP9 -1562, C/T decreased lung cancer risk was found in both "diverse populations" and Caucasians. For MMP13 -77A/G, the A/G genotype decreased lung cancer risk in Asians. However, only associations between MMP1 -1607 1G/2G, MMP2 -1306 C/T, MMP2 -735 C/T, and MMP7 -181 A/G and lung cancer risk were considered noteworthy according to FPRP tests. There was no association between MMP3 -1171 5A/6A, MMP9 R279Q, and MMP12 -82A/G and lung cancer risk. Conclusions Our meta-analysis suggested that MMP1 -1607 1G/2G and MMP7 -181 A/G were risk factors for lung cancer, while MMP2 -1306 C/T, MMP2 -735 C/T, MMP9 -1562 C/T, and MMP13 -77A/G might be protective factors. However, results for MMP9 -1562 C/T and MMP13 -77A/G should be interpreted with caution due to the probability of false-positive reports. 2020 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.Background The recommended treatment duration for non-cavitary nodular bronchiectatic (NC-NB) Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease (LD) is at least 12 months after culture conversion, but evidence supporting this is limited. This study investigated whether treatment for less than 12 months after culture conversion is acceptable in terms of recurrence rate. Methods The study enrolled the patients diagnosed with NC-NB MAC LD between 2001 and 2014 at a tertiary referral center in South Korea who received the standard treatment for at least 9 months after culture conversion up to October 2018. The patients were divided into a shorter treatment group (9-11 months after culture conversion) and a standard treatment group (≥12 months). Results Of the 228 patients enrolled, 59 (25.9%) were treated for 9-11 months after culture conversion and 169 (74.1%) for ≥12 months. The mean treatment durations after culture conversion in the shorter and standard treatment groups were 11.1 and 13.8 months, respectively (P less then 0.