Gopi C Khilnani

Evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes using 18 F-FDG PET-CT scan and its histopathologic correlation

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of integrated 18F-fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT) in the evaluation and characterization of mediastinal lymph nodes into benign and malignant pathology. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathies without primary neoplastic or infective lung pathologies were included in the study. The lymph nodes were detected on contrast-enhanced CT scan of the chest. All patients underwent 18F-FDG PET-CT scan for evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes. Results of PET-CT were compared with histopathology of the lymph nodes and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were calculated. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data were collected prospectively and analyzed using (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) 11.5 software. RESULTS: Histopathology results in 35 patients revealed tuberculosis in 12, sarcoidosis in 8, and lymphoma in 15. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the benign lymph nodes ranged from 2.3 to 11.8 with a mean±standard deviation (SD) of 5.02±3.26. SUVmax of the malignant lymph nodes ranged from 2.4 to 34 with a mean±SD of 10.8±8.12. There was a statistically significant difference between benign and malignant pathology (P<0.0059). 18F-FDG PET-CT has sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 40% with SUVmax 2.5 as the cutoff. We found the optimal SUVmax cutoff to be 6.2 as determined by the receiver–operator characteristic curve. With 6.2 as cutoff, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 87%, 70%, and 77%, respectively. CONCLUSION In countries where tuberculosis and other granulomatous diseases are endemic, SUVmax cutoff value of 2.5 has low specificity. Increasing the cutoff value can improve the specificity, while maintaining an acceptable sensitivity.

Predictors of mortality of patients with acute respiratory failure secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admitted to an intensive care unit: A one year study

BackgroundPatients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) commonly require hospitalization and admission to intensive care unit (ICU). It is useful to identify patients at the time of admission who are likely to have poor outcome. This study was carried out to define the predictors of mortality in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD and to device a scoring system using the baseline physiological variables for prognosticating these patients.MethodsEighty-two patients with acute respiratory failure secondary to COPD admitted to medical ICU over a one-year period were included. Clinical and demographic profile at the time of admission to ICU including APACHE II score and Glasgow coma scale were recorded at the time of admission to ICU. In addition, acid base disorders, renal functions, liver functions and serum albumin, were recorded at the time of presentation. Primary outcome measure was hospital mortality.ResultsInvasive ventilation was required in 69 patients (84.1%). Fifty-two patients survived to hospital discharge (63.4%). APACHE II score at the time of admission to ICU {odds ratio (95 % CI): 1.32 (1.138–1.532); p < 0.001} and serum albumin (done within 24 hours of admission) {odds ratio (95 % CI): 0.114 (0.03-0.432); p = 0.001}. An equation, constructed using the adjusted odds ratio for the two parameters, had an area under the ROC curve of 91.3%. For the choice of cut-off, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for predicting outcome was 90%, 86.5%, 79.4% and 93.7%.ConclusionAPACHE II score at admission and SA levels with in 24 hrs after admission are independent predictors of mortality for patients with COPD admitted to ICU. The equation derived from these two parameters is useful for predicting outcome of these patients.

Thoracoscopy: the preferred approach for the resection of selected posterior mediastinal tumors.

The posterior mediastinum is a common site for neurogenic tumors. These are mostly asymptomatic and detected incidentally during radiologic investigations. However, they occasionally present with compressive or neurologic symptoms. The tumors are mostly benign but can also be malignant. Left untreated, they continue to grow. Therefore, once detected, resection is always advised. Traditionally, resection has been performed by standard posterolateral thoracotomy. More recently, such tumors have been removed thoracoscopically. We report our experience with three such cases and present a comprehensive analysis of cases of thoracoscopic resection of posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumors reported in the English literature to suggest guidelines for their current management.

Lipoid pneumonia: an overview

Lipoid pneumonia is an uncommon disease caused by the presence of lipid in the alveoli. It is classified into two major groups, depending on whether the lipid/oil in the respiratory tract is from an exogenous (exogenous lipoid pneumonia) or endogenous/idiopathic (endogenous lipoid pneumonia) source. The usual presentation occurs with insidious onset and nonspecific respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea and/or cough. The main radiological findings include airspace consolidations, ground-glass attenuation, airspace nodules and ‘crazy-paving’ pattern. However, the radiological appearance of the disorder can mimic many other lung diseases, including carcinoma. Owing to the nonspecific clinical presentation and radiological features, the diagnosis is often missed or delayed. Pathologically, lipoid pneumonia is a chronic foreign body reaction to fat, characterized by lipid-laden macrophages. Diagnosis of this disease requires a high index of suspicion and can be confirmed by demonstration of lipid-laden macrophages in respiratory samples such as sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or fine-needle aspiration cytology/biopsy from lung lesions. Treatment protocols for this illness are poorly defined.

Primary Cutaneous Mucormycosis in an Immunocompetent Host : Report of a Case

Abstract.Cutaneous mucormycosis is an uncommon disease and it usually affects immunocompromised, diabetic, and trauma patients with contaminated wounds or patients with underlying malignancies. It is very rare to find this disease in immunocompetent, nondiabetic patients. We herein report a case of primary cutaneous mucormycosis in an immunocompetent and nondiabetic patient. Our patient was a 50-year-old veterinary doctor. He was diagnosed to have cutaneous mucormycosis of the anterior abdominal wall, and was treated with multiple debridements of the wound and intravenous amphotericin B therapy. He received a total of 1 000 mg of amphotericin B. A high index of clinical suspicion and early institution of therapy in the form of surgical debridements and antifungal drugs are required to achieve a successful outcome.

Guidelines for diagnosis and management of community-and hospital-acquired pneumonia in adults: Joint ICS/NCCP(I) recommendations

10.4103/0970-2113.99248 A. K. Janmeja, Chandigarh; Abhishek Goyal, Chandigarh; Aditya Jindal, Chandigarh; Ajay Handa, Bangalore; Aloke G. Ghoshal, Kolkata; Ashish Bhalla, Chandigarh; Bharat Gopal, Delhi; D. Behera, Delhi; D. Dadhwal, Chandigarh; D. J. Christopher, Vellore; Deepak Talwar, Noida; Dhruva Chaudhry, Rohtak; Dipesh Maskey, Chandigarh; George D’Souza, Bangalore; Honey Sawhney, Chandigarh; Inderpal Singh, Chandigarh; Jai Kishan, Chandigarh; K. B. Gupta, Rohtak; Mandeep Garg, Chandigarh; Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh; Nirmal K. Jain, Jaipur; Nusrat Shafiq, Chandigarh; P. Sarat, Chandigarh; Pranab Baruwa, Guwahati; R. S. Bedi, Patiala; Rajendra Prasad, Etawa; Randeep Guleria, Delhi; S. K. Chhabra, Delhi; S. K. Sharma, Delhi; Sabir Mohammed, Bikaner; Sahajal Dhooria, Chandigarh; Samir Malhotra, Chandigarh; Sanjay Jain, Chandigarh; Subhash Varma, Chandigarh; Sunil Sharma, Shimla; Surender Kashyap, Karnal; Surya Kant, Lucknow; U. P. S. Sidhu, Ludhiana; V. Nagarjun Mataru, Chandigarh; Vikas Gautam, Chandigarh; Vikram K. Jain, Jaipur; Vishal Chopra, Patiala; Vishwanath Gella, Chandigarh

Guidelines for diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Joint ICS/NCCP (I) recommendations

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem in India. Although several International guidelines for diagnosis and management of COPD are available, yet there are lot of gaps in recognition and management of COPD in India due to vast differences in availability and affordability of healthcare facilities across the country. The Indian Chest Society (ICS) and the National College of Chest Physicians (NCCP) of India have joined hands to come out with these evidence-based guidelines to help the physicians at all levels of healthcare to diagnose and manage COPD in a scientific manner. Besides the International literature, the Indian studies were specifically analyzed to arrive at simple and practical recommendations. The evidence is presented under these five headings: (a) definitions, epidemiology, and disease burden; (b) disease assessment and diagnosis; (c) pharmacologic management of stable COPD; (d) management of acute exacerbations; and (e) nonpharmacologic and preventive measures. The modified grade system was used for classifying the quality of evidence as 1, 2, 3, or usual practice point (UPP). The strength of recommendation was graded as A or B depending upon the level of evidence.

Initial experience with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) from a tuberculosis endemic population.

Background:Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a widely accepted minimally invasive procedure for the evaluation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Most of the published literature on EBUS-TBNA is focused on the diagnostic and staging aspects of lung cancer. Literature on the utility of this modality from developing countries and settings with a high prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) is limited. We herein describe our preliminary experience over 1 year on the utility of EBUS-TBNA from a tertiary care teaching center in North India. Methods:The primary objective was to evaluate the utility of convex probe EBUS-TBNA as a modality for diagnosis in patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy presenting to our center. EBUS-TBNA was performed under local anesthesia and conscious sedation in the bronchoscopy laboratory. Rapid on-site evaluation was available for most of the procedures. Patients were discharged the same day from the hospital. Results:A total of 102 patients with mean age of 42.1±14.2 years underwent EBUS-TBNA for a clinical indication of enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, between September 2012 and September 2013.There were 63 males (61.8%) and 39 females (38.2%). EBUS-TBNA was performed for staging lung cancer in 5 patients.A total of 216 lymph node stations were sampled in 102 patients. Rapid on-site evaluation was performed in 95 patients (93.1%). Adequate/representative samples could be obtained in 98 of 102 patients (96.1%). Overall, EBUS-TBNA was diagnostic in 76 patients (74.5%). EBUS-TBNA was diagnostic in 80.9%, 84.8%, and 75% of patients with sarcoidosis, TB, and lung cancer, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of EBUS-TBNA were 81.7%, 100%, 100%, and 22.73%, respectively. Conclusions:EBUS-TBNA is a safe and efficacious procedure for obtaining tissue diagnosis in patients with mediastinal lymph node enlargement. The yield of EBUS-TBNA in diagnosis of mediastinal lymph node enlargement due to TB is especially high.

Non-invasive ventilation for acute exacerbation of COPD with very high PaCO 2 : A randomized controlled trial

Objective: To assess the role of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) for management of Indian patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Materials and Methods: Forty patients (mean age 57.6 ± 10.8 years; M:F 31:9) with AECOPD with pH <7.35, admitted to the intensive care unit were included. Patients were randomized to receive NIPPV (N, n = 20) with conventional therapy or conventional therapy (C, n = 20) alone at admission. NIPPV was given through the nasal mask. Incidence of need of endotracheal intubation (ETI) was the primary efficacy variable. Hospital mortality, duration of hospital stay and change in clinical and blood gas parameters were the secondary outcome variables. Results: Mean pH at baseline for N and C groups were similar (7.23 ± 0.07) whereas PaCO2 was 85.4 ± 14.8 and 81.1 ± 11.6 mm of Hg, respectively. At one hour, patients in N group had greater improvement in pH (P = 0.017) as well as PaCO2 (P = 0.04) which corroborated with clinical improvement. Whereas need of ETI was reduced in patients who received NIPPV (3/20 vs 12/20, P = 0.003), in-hospital mortality was similar (3/20 and 2/20, P = NS). The mean duration of hospital stay was significantly shorter in N group (9.4 ± 4.3 days) as compared to C group (17.8 ± 2.6 days); P = 0.001. Conclusions: In patients with AECOPD, NIPPV leads to rapid improvement in blood gas parameters and reduces the need for ETI

Multidetector CT evaluation of central airways stenoses: Comparison of virtual bronchoscopy, minimal-intensity projection, and multiplanar reformatted images

Aims: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of virtual bronchoscopy, multiplanar reformatted images, and minimal-intensity projection in assessing airway stenoses. Settings and Design: It was a prospective study involving 150 patients with symptoms of major airway disease. Materials and Methods: Fifty-six patients were selected for analysis based on the detection of major airway lesions on fiber-optic bronchoscopy (FB) or routine axial images. Comparisons were made between axial images, virtual bronchoscopy (VB), minimal-intensity projection (minIP), and multiplanar reformatted (MPR) images using FB as the gold standard. Lesions were evaluated in terms of degree of airway narrowing, distance from carina, length of the narrowed segment and visualization of airway distal to the lesion. Results: MPR images had the highest degree of agreement with FB (Κ = 0.76) in the depiction of degree of narrowing. minIP had the least degree of agreement with FB (Κ = 0.51) in this regard. The distal visualization was best on MPR images (84.2%), followed by axial images (80.7%), whereas FB could visualize the lesions only in 45.4% of the cases. VB had the best agreement with FB in assessing the segment length (Κ = 0.62). Overall there were no statistically significant differences in the measurement of the distance from the carina in the axial, minIP, and MPR images. MPR images had the highest overall degree of confidence, namely, 70.17% (n = 40). Conclusion: Three-dimensional reconstruction techniques were found to improve lesion evaluation compared with axial images alone. The technique of MPR images was the most useful for lesion evaluation and provided additional information useful for surgical and airway interventions in tracheobronchial stenosis. minIP was useful in the overall depiction of airway anatomy.