Debraj Jash

Osteosarcoma relapse as pleural metastasis

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in children and young adults arising from primitive mesenchymal bone-forming cells. The lung is the most common site of metastasis of osteosarcoma. Here, we report a case of a 14-year-old male patient having osteosarcoma of tibia presenting to us for evaluation of left-sided pleural effusion after 4 years of mid-thigh amputation. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography thorax revealed a large, heterogeneous, calcified mass (+277 H.U) at left upper and middle lobe along with massive left-sided pleural effusion. Thoracoscopy revealed a lung metastasis in the right upper and middle lobe along with 2-cm diameter mass found on the surface of parietal pleura. Lung tumor was resected and biopsy of the pleural mass was carried out. Histopathological examination from both the masses was suggestive of metastatic osteosarcoma. The case underlines the importance of performing thoracoscopy in patients of osteosarcoma who recur with lung metastasis.

Usefulness of induced sputum eosinophil count to assess severity and treatment outcome in asthma patients

Context: Currently treatment decisions in asthma are governed by clinical assessment and spirometry. Sputum eosinophil, being a marker of airway inflammation, can serve as a tool for assessing severity and response to treatment in asthma patients. Aims: To establish correlation between change in sputum eosinophil count and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)% predicted value of asthma patients in response to treatment. In this study, we also predicted prognosis and treatment outcome of asthma patients from baseline sputum eosinophil count. Settings and Design: A longitudinal study was conducted to determine the treatment outcome among newly diagnosed asthma patients who were classified into A (n = 80) and B (n = 80) groups on the basis of initial sputum eosinophil count (A ≥ 3% and B < 3%). Materials and Methods: After starting treatment according to Global Initiative for Asthma Guideline, both A and B groups were evaluated every 15 days interval for the 1st month and monthly thereafter for a total duration of 12 months. In each follow-up visit detailed history, induced sputum eosinophil count and spirometry were done to evaluate severity and treatment outcome. Results: FEV1% predicted of group A asthma patients gradually increased and sputum eosinophil count gradually decreased on treatment. Longer time was required to achieve satisfactory improvement (FEV1% predicted) in asthma patients with sputum eosinophil count ≥3%. There was statistically significant negative correlation between FEV1% predicted and sputum eosinophil count (%) in of group A patients in each follow-up visit, with most significant negative correlation found in 8th visit (r = −0.9237 and P = < 0.001). Change in mean FEV1% (predicted) from baseline showed strong positive correlation (r = 0.976) with change in reduction of mean sputum eosinophil count at each follow-up visits in group A patients. Conclusions: Sputum eosinophil count, being an excellent biomarker of airway inflammation, can serve as a useful marker to assess disease severity, treatment outcome, and prognosis in asthma patients.

The Incidence of Hyponatraemia and Its Effect on the ECOG Performance Status among Lung Cancer Patients.

CONTEXT Hyponatraemia is one of the common electrolytic disorders which are associated with lung cancer. Hyponatraemia may influence the ECOG performance status at presentation. Also, to the best of our knowledge, we found only limited Indian studies where the ECOG score was correlated with the serum sodium status in lung cancer patients on presentation. AIM To assess the incidence of hyponatraemia among the patients of carcinoma of the lung before putting them into the specific treatment category for cancer and to check the effects on their ECOG performance status. SETTINGS AND DESIGN A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted on 116 consecutive patients of lung cancer during the period from November 2011 to October 2012. MATERIAL AND METHODS The patients with a histologically proven diagnosis of lung cancer were grouped initially according to their ECOG performance statuses. The serum sodium value of each patient was measured and the hyponatraemic patients were given treatment according to the protocol. The correlation of the ECOG performance status with the serum sodium of the lung cancer patients was measured. To check for any laboratory error in serum sodium, we selected (n = 58) age, sex and socioeconomic matched control patients. RESULTS At presentation 44.8% of the lung cancer patients showed hyponatraemia [52/116]. The ECOG score was significantly poor in the advanced clinical stages (ECOG ≤2 Vs ECOG ≥ 3 in NSCLC cases, χ(2) =11.25, P=.0008). The ECOG performance status score at admission showed a negative correlation with the serum sodium status which was measured on admission among all the patients (Pearson correlation coefficient = - 0.186). The clinical stage of the lung cancer also showed a positive correlation with the ECOG score at admission in our study (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.295). CONCLUSION Hyponatraemia is not an uncommon condition and it should be suspected and screened in each patient, as it may influence the ECOG performance status score, which serves as an important factor in the prognosis of lung cancer.

Role of common investigations in aetiological evaluation of exudative pleural effusions.

BACKGROUND Pleural effusion is a common problem encountered in daily practice. To Establish aetiology of exudative effusions is a diagnostic challenge to general practitioners and even to pulmonologists especially in resource poor government hospitals with lack of investigations like thoracoscopy. Some recent studies had shown that around 2% of patients remained undiagnosed even after these investigations. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of the commonly available investigations such as pleural fluid study, blind pleural biopsy, sputum examination, CT scan thorax, bronchoscopy in the aetiological evaluation of exudative effusions and to ascertain the proportion of cases which remain undiagnosed after all the above investigations. MATERIAL AND METHODS This was a prospective single-centred cross-sectional study carried out at the NRS Medical College, Kolkata, India from February 2008 to February 2013 which included 568 patients of exudative pleural effusions. We performed commonly available procedures like pleural fluid study, blind pleural biopsy, sputum examination, CT scan thorax, bronchoscopic procedures to the diagnosis. RESULTS Total number of patients studied were 568. Tuberculosis was the most common cause (54.57%) followed by malignancy (28.17%), empyema (10.56%), parapneumonic effusion (5.28%) and others. Carcinoma of the lung was the commonest cause of malignant effusions and bronchoscopic biopsy was given the highest yield of histological diagnosis (84.6%) followed by CT guided FNAC (77.6%) and pleural fluid cytology (55%). Highest yield to diagnose tubercular effusion was found in lymph node FNAC (81.5%) followed by pleural biopsy (62%). Sputum smear for AFB was positive in only 27.4% cases. Bleeding followed by pneumothorax were the most common complications. Complications are very less (1.3% and 0.9% respectively). 2 patients (0.34%) remained undiagnosed even after these all above said investigations. CONCLUSION Above mentioned commonly available investigations can ascertain diagnosis in most of the cases in the aetiological evaluation of exudative effusions and they are relatively safe procedures.

Solitary pulmonary nodule: A rare presentation of pulmonary mucormycosis in an immunocompetent adult

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection of immunocompromised individuals. Here, we report a case of 70-year-old male, smoker presenting with high-grade fever for 2 weeks and episodes of hemoptysis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) thorax revealed a solitary pulmonary nodule measuring 2.3 × 1.6 cm in the right upper lobe. CT guided fine needle aspiration cytology and true cut biopsy showed plenty of typical fungal hyphae consistent with the diagnosis of mucormycosis. Fungal culture confirmed the organism as mucor. Positron emission tomography-CT scan showed a non- 18 fluorodeoxy glucose avid nodule ruling out possibility of malignancy. Investigation did not reveal any evidence of immunosuppression. Patient was treated with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B for 4 weeks. Follow-up chest X-ray and CT scan after 6 weeks were normal.

Aggressive angiomyxoma of greater omentum with pleural effusion in a young male.

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare, locally aggressive, myxoid mesenchymal neoplasm, preferentially arising in the pelvic and perineal regions of young adult females. It may also occur in males, in the inguinoscrotal area. Here we report a case of a young male, who presented with a firm, diffuse, nontender swelling in the abdomen and right-sided pleural effusion. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed the presence of a large, cystic mass, almost filling the entire abdominal cavity. On laparotomy, a huge mass, approximately 25 cm × 20 cm × 4 cm in size, arising from the greater omentum, with increased vascularity, and occupying the entire abdomen, was excised. Histopathological examination along with immunohistochemistry established the diagnosis of an aggressive angiomyxoma. Here, we report the case of an aggressive angiomyxoma, originating from the greater omentum, in a young male, associated with right-sided pleural effusion.

Recovery of fluconazole sensitive Candida ciferrii in a diabetic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient presenting with pneumonia

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations admitted in intensive care units (ICUs) occur rarely due to fungal respiratory tract infections, but may occur when associated co-morbidities like diabetes mellitus coexist. Candida ciferrii is a new agent, recently was isolated from lung infections but usually resistant to fluconazole. Here, we report a rare case of pneumonia due to fluconazole sensitive Candida ciferrii in a COPD patient with known diabetes, admitted in our ICU.

A rare case of ethambutol induced pulmonary eosinophilia

Antitubercular drug (ATD) induced eosinophilic lung disease is a rare phenomenon. It usually occurs due to isoniazid and para amino salicylic acid. A 34-year-male of sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis, on antitubercular drugs (rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide) for last 3 weeks, presented with generalized arthralgia and maculopapular rash for last 2 weeks and shortness of breath for last 1 week. Chest X-ray and High resolution computerized tomographic scan thorax showed bilateral peripheral airspace opacification. Bronchoalveolar lavage revealed 51% eosinophils of total cellularity (1200/cmm) confirming the diagnosis of pulmonary eosinophilia. ATD was stopped for 2 weeks and then reintroduced one by one. Patient again developed similar kind of symptoms with reintroduction of ethambutol. According to criteria for drug induced pulmonary eosinophilia, he was diagnosed as a case of ethambutol induced pulmonary eosinophilia.

Mandibular metastasis with pulmonary cannon balls: Presentation of follicular carcinoma thyroid

Swelling of the jaw due to metastatic lesions needs careful search for an occult malignancy. Thyroid carcinoma is a rare cause of jaw bone metastasis. A 70-year-old female presented in our chest clinic with progressive shortness of breath for last 1-month and associated painful swelled right jaw for last 4 months. Her computed tomography scan thorax showed bilateral cannon ball metastasis involving all lobes of the lung. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) from radiographically evident osteolytic lesion of the mandible was suggestive of metastatic carcinoma probably of thyroid origin. Ultrasonography of the thyroid gland revealed well-defined hypoechoic nodule (measuring about 2 cm × 1.8 cm) with few foci of calcification. FNAC from the thyroid nodule followed by immunocytochemistry was suggestive of follicular carcinoma of the thyroid. We report a very rare presentation, as jaw metastasis in follicular carcinoma of the thyroid.

Unexplained dyspnea in a patient of chronic arsenicosis: A diagnostic challenge and learning curve for physicians.

Chronic arsenic exposure causes cutaneous effects like hyperkeratosis, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, non-cirrhotic portal hypertension, hepatomegaly, peripheral neuropathy, respiratory involvement, bad obstetrical outcome, hematological disturbances, and diabetes mellitus. Here we present a case of a 24-year-old lady, with chronic exposure to arsenic, presenting to us with progressive dyspnea. We found pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) as a cause of her dyspnea. PAH can occur in arsenicosis, secondary to arsenic-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung fibrosis, and portal hypertension, which we excluded by appropriate investigations in our case. We also excluded a familial or heritable form of PAH. Thus, with the exclusion of all these secondary causes of PAH, as well as a hereditary cause, we came to a conclusion that this PAH might be due to chronic arsenic exposure. To the best of our knowledge, no case of PAH in chronic arsenicosis has been reported to date.