Hulya Bayiz

Endobronchial metastases: a clinicopathological analysis

Objective:  It is important to distinguish endobronchial metastases (EBM) from both primary lung cancers and benign lesions, as treatment will differ. The clinicopathological characteristics of EBM cases were documented to see whether any distinguishing features exist.

The correlation of SUVmax with pathological characteristics of primary tumor and the value of Tumor/ Lymph node SUVmax ratio for predicting metastasis to lymph nodes in resected NSCLC patients

BackgroundWe aimed to investigate the correlation of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) with pathological characteristics of primary tumor and to determine a Tumor/ Lymph node (T/LN) SUVmax ratio predicting metastasis to lymph nodes in NSCLC patients.MethodsEighty-one NSCLC patients who had PET/CT examination at initial staging and subsequently underwent surgical resection were retrospectively evaluated. There were 100 PET/CT positive mediastinal or hilar lymph node stations. Pathological characteristics of the tumor such as largest tumor diameter, tumor histology, differentiation, number of mitosis, degree of stromal inflammation, necrosis; etiology of PET/CT positive lymph node stations; SUVmax of primary tumor and positive lymph node stations were recorded. A T/LN SUVmax ratio was calculated for each lymph node station.ResultsSUVmax of the primary tumor was positively correlated with the largest tumor diameter (p = 0.001, r = 0.374), number of mitosis (p < 0.001, r = 0.405), and postoperative pathological stage (p = 0.007, r = 0.298). Patients with squamous cell carcinoma had a statistically significant higher mean SUVmax, number of mitosis and advanced N stages compared to adenocarcinoma. The etiology of 100 PET/CT positive lymph node stations were metastasis in 14, anthracosis in 40, reactive in 39, granulomatous in 4, and silicosis in 3 patients. A T/LN SUVmax ratio of 5 or lower was suggestive for a malignant lymph node with a sensitivity of 92.8% and specificity of 47%.ConclusionsSUVmax of a primary tumor is related to certain pathological characteristics, such as largest diameter, histology, and number of mitosis. A T/LN SUVmax ratio lower than 5 predicts the metastasis to lymph nodes with a high sensitivity.

Percutaneous Aspiration Thrombectomy in Treatment of Massive Pulmonary Embolism

BACKGROUND Pulmonary embolism (PE) associated with haemodynamic instability has exceedingly high mortality. We describe our experience using percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) in patients with massive PE and right ventricle dysfunction. METHODS Sixteen patients (11 males and five females; mean age, 55.7 ± 8.3 years) with massive PE were treated with PMT. A percutaneous Aspiration Device (8 French Aspirex® aspiration thrombectomy catheter, Straub Medical, Switzerland) was used in all patients. Clinical outcomes, right ventricle and pulmonary artery pressures (PAP), thrombus clearance and complications were evaluated. RESULTS Treatment of 16 patients resulted in complete thrombus clearance (≥ 90%), in 87.5% of the patients and near-complete (50%-90%) clearance in 6.3%. Measurements before and after treatment showed a decrease in PAP (73 ± 11 mm Hg to 34 ± 8 mm Hg, P<.001). The RV/LV ratio decreased from 1.32 ± 0.15 to 0.84 ± 0.13 at follow-up (P<.001). One patient died from refractory shock. No cardiovascular deaths or recurrent PE were documented during clinical follow-up but one patient demonstrated evidence of mild cor pulmonale. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates safety and effectiveness of percutaneous mechanical aspiration thrombectomy in patients with massive PE with a large thrombus burden.

Fibrosing mediastinitis mimicking bronchogenic carcinoma

Fibrosing mediastinitis is a rare but benign disorder characterized by an excessive fibrotic reaction in the mediastinum which can result in compromise of airways, great vessels, and other mediastinal structures. In this paper we presented a patient with fibrosing mediastinitis mimicking bronchogenic carcinoma. The patient was a 32-year-old diabetic male admitting with cough and hemoptysis. There was a right hilar mass and multiple mediastinal conglomerated lymph nodes on chest computed tomography. Positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) scan demonstrated increased fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake at the right hilar mass lesion and mediastinal lymph nodes. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed mucosal distortion of right upper lobe. Pathologic examination of the mucosal biopsy revealed inflammation. Endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle and cervical mediastinoscopic lymph node biopsies were undiagnostic. Diagnostic thoracotomy confirmed the diagnosis fibrosing mediastinitis. Administration of six months of systemic corticosteroid and antituberculous therapy was not beneficial. In conclusion, despite being a rare clinical entity, fibrosing mediastinitis should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of mediastinal mass lesions of unknown etiology. The diagnosis is exceptionally difficult in the presence of atypical radiological findings. The treatment is particularly challenging without any proven effective therapy.

The cell block method increases the diagnostic yield in exudative pleural effusions accompanying lung cancer.

Abstract Objective: Thoracentesis is the first investigation to be performed in a patient with lung cancer and pleural effusion. The diagnostic yield of conventional smear studies varies in the first thoracentesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate if the cell block method increases the diagnostic yield in exudative pleural effusions accompanying lung cancer. Material and Method: Forty patients with lung cancer and exudative pleural effusions were included. Ten mililiters of fresh pleural fluid was obtained by thoracentesis from all patients in the initial evaluation. The pleural fluid sample was divided into two equal parts. One part was subjected to conventional smear and the other to the cell block method. Conventional smears were stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa and Hematoxylin-Eosin. Cell block sections were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin and mucicarmine. Conventional smear findings were grouped as “benign cytology” or “malignant cytology”. The cell block sections were evaluated for the presence of single tumor cells, acinary or papillary pattern, solid islands and staining with mucicarmine. Results: There were 20 patients each in the benign and malignant conventional smear group. In the benign group, adding the cell block method to conventional smear provided a diagnosis of malignancy in 4 more patients and the diagnosis of malignant effusion was increased by a ratio of 10% (4/40). In the malignant group, adding the cell block technique provided the subtyping of lung cancer as adenocarcinoma in 7 patients (7/20, 35%). Conclusion: Our study confirms that the cell block method combined with conventional smear increases the diagnostic yield in exudative pleural effusions accompanying lung cancer Öz Amaç: Torasentez, plevra sıvısı olan akciğer kanserli bir hastada yapılması gereken ilk incelemedir. İlk torasentezde yapılan konvensiyonel sitolojik incelemelerin tanı başarısı değişkendir. Bu çalışmada, eksudatif plevra sıvısı olan akciğer kanserli hastalarda, hücre bloğu yönteminin tanıyı artırıp artırmağını araştırmayı amaçladık. Gereç ve Yöntem: Eksudatif plevral sıvısı olan 40 akciğer kanserli hasta çalışmaya alındı. Tanı aşamasında her hastadan torasentezle 10 ml plevra sıvısı alındı. Sıvı iki eşit parçaya ayrıldı. Bir kısım konvansiyonel sitoloji için kullanılırken diğer kısımdan hücre bloğu yapıldı. Konvansiyonel yaymalar May-Grünwald-Giemsa ve Hematoksilen- Eosin ile boyandı. Hücre bloğu kesitleri Hematoksilen-Eosin ve musikarmin ile boyandı. Konvansiyonel sitoloji bulguları “benign sitoloji” ve “malign sitoloji” olarak gruplandı. Sitoblok kesitleri tek tümör hücresi, asiner, papiller patern, solid ada varlığı, musikarmin ile boyanma açısından değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Benign ve malign konvansiyonel sitoloji grubunun her birinde 20’şer hasta vardı. Benign konvansiyonel sitoloji grubunda, konvensiyonel sitolojiye ek olarak sitoloblok yapılması 4 hastaya daha malignite tanısı konmasını sağlayarak, malign sıvı tanısını (4/40) %10 oranında artırdı. Konvansiyonel sitolojisi malign olan grupta, sitoblok yönteminin beraber kullanılması, 7 hastada (7/20, %35) adenokarsinom tanısı koydurarak, akciğer kanserinin subtiplendirmesine olanak sağladı. Sonuç: Çalışmamız, akciğer kanserine eşlik eden eksudatif plevra sıvısı olan hastalarda, konvansiyonel sitoloji ile birlikte sitoblok yönteminin kullanılmasının tanı değerini artırdığını kanıtlamıştır

Patient and physician delay in the diagnosis and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in Turkey.

AIM The early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer are important for the prognosis of patients with lung cancer. This study was undertaken to investigate patient and doctor delays in the diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC and the factors affecting these delays. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 1016 patients, including 926 (91.1%) males and 90 (8.9%) females with a mean age of 61.5±10.1 years, were enrolled prospectively in this study between May 2010 and May 2011 from 17 sites in various Turkish provinces. RESULTS The patient delay was found to be 49.9±96.9 days, doctor delay was found to be 87.7±99.6 days, and total delay was found to be 131.3±135.2 days. The referral delay was found to be 61.6±127.2 days, diagnostic delay was found to be 20.4±44.5 days, and treatment delay was found to be 24.4±54.9 days. When the major factors responsible for these delays were examined, patient delay was found to be more frequent in workers, while referral delay was found to be more frequent in patients living in villages (p<0.05). We determined that referral delay, doctor delay, and total delay increased as the number of doctors who were consulted by patients increased (p<0.05). Additionally, we determined that diagnostic and treatment delays were more frequent at the early tumour stages in NSCLC patients (p<0.05). DISCUSSION The extended length of patient delay underscores the necessity of educating people about lung cancer. To decrease doctor delay, education is a crucial first step. Additionally, to further reduce the diagnostic and treatment delays of chest specialists, multidisciplinary management and algorithms must be used regularly.

Does gender affect asthma control in adult asthmatics

Several studies have shown gender differences in prevalence of asthma but there is little information about asthma control. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of gender on asthma control in adult asthmatics. Medical records of 242 patients older than 18 years of age who regularly visited the allergy unit were evaluated. Standardized asthma questionnaires like the asthma control test (ACT) were performed. ACT scores, clinical characteristics, and demographic data such as smoking status, education, duration and severity of asthma, atopic status, family history of asthma, analgesic hypersensitivity, number of emergency visits, and hospitalization in the previous year were compared based on gender. In this study, 77.3% of the patients were female. Mean age, body mass index, and duration of asthma were 39.0 ± 0.7, 27.3 ± 0.3, and 6.6 ± 0.4 years, respectively. Of the total, 14.9% of the patients were smokers. Also, 55.8% of them were graduated from middle school, 22.7% from high school, and 14% from university. Atopy rate was 57%. Analgesic hypersensitivity was found in 18.6% of them. There was 30.2% family history of asthma. The asthma severity was mild in 45.5%, moderate in 40.9%, and severe in 13.6% of the patients. One-third of the patients were admitted to emergency room; 1/10th were hospitalized due to asthma in the previous year. ACT scores indicated complete control in 67.8%, partial control in 17.8%, and uncontrolled asthma in 14.5%. Comparing the results of males with females having asthma, there was no statistically significant difference between the two gender according to ACT scores and clinical characteristics. Finally, the results conclude that there was no effect of gender on asthma control assessed with standardized questionnaire in adult asthmatics.

Autologous anti-SOX2 antibody responses reflect intensity but not frequency of antigen expression in small cell lung cancer

BackgroundAnti-SOX2 antibody responses are observed in about 10 to 20% of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether such responses reflect a particular pattern of SOX2 protein expression in the tumor and whether this pattern associates with clinical outcome.MethodsParaffin embedded tumor tissues, obtained from SCLC patients who had no evidence of paraneoplastic autoimmune degeneration, were evaluated for SOX2 expression by immunohistochemistry for both intensity and extent of staining. Sera from the same patients were tested for autologous antibodies against recombinant SOX2 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Correlates between overall survival and various clinical parameters including SOX2 staining and serology were determined.ResultsSOX2 protein expression was observed in tumor tissue in 89% of patients. Seventeen patients (29%) were seropositive for SOX2 antibodies and, in contrast to SOX2 staining, the presence of antibody correlated with limited disease stage (p = 0.05). SOX2 seropositivity showed a significant association with the intensity of SOX2 staining in the tumor (p = 0.02) but not with the frequency of SOX2 expressing cells.ConclusionAnti-SOX2 antibodies associate with better prognosis (limited stage disease) while SOX2 protein expression does not; similar to reports from some earlier studies. Our data provides an explanation for this seemingly contrasting data for the first time as SOX2 antibodies can be observed in patients whose tumors contain relatively few but strongly staining cells, thus supporting the possible presence of active immune-surveillance and immune-editing targeting SOX2 protein in this tumor type.

Prognostic factors in malignant pleural mesothelioma: A retrospective study of 60 Turkish patients

AIM Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumor with poor prognosis. The study aims to examine the effect of certain clinical, laboratory, radiologic, and pathologic characteristics on survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixty patients who had undergone PET/CT evaluation at initial diagnosis were included. We investigated the effect of certain clinical, laboratory, radiologic characteristics, SUVmax of the tumor, and pathological characteristics such as histological subtype, mitotic activity index (MAI), tumor necrosis, and inflammation on survival. The pathological slides of each patient were re-evaluated for MAI, presence of necrosis, and inflammation. The patients were grouped based on number of mitosis as MAI 1:≤ 9, MAI 2:10-19, MAI 3: >19 mitosis. RESULTS There were 34 male and 26 female patients with a mean age of 53.6 ± 10.6 years. Mean and median survival time was 14.83 ± 10.75 and 11.95 (min 0.43-max 48.10) months, respectively. Using univariate analysis leukocytosis (P = 0.009), rind-like pleural thickening (P = 0.037), advanced disease stage (P = 0.004), best supportive therapy alone (P = 0.004), SUVmax higher than 8 (P = 0.023), MAI higher than 1 (P = 0.033), and presence of tumor necrosis (P = 0.037) were found as poor prognostic factors. At multivariate analysis, leukocytosis (P = 0.026, HR: 2.27), advanced disease stage (P = 0.021, HR: 2.46), best supportive therapy alone (P = 0.029, HR: 5.12), and MAI higher than 1 (P = 0.01, HR: 3.01) were independently associated with survival, whereas SUVmax of the tumor failed to enter the model (P = 0.07, HR: 1.89). CONCLUSION Presence of leukocytosis, advanced disease stages, supportive therapy alone, and higher MAI were found to be negative prognostic factors in patients with MPM.

Diffuse pulmonary amyloidosis due to Familial Mediterranean Fever, a rare presentation

To the Editor, Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a hereditary disease characterized by sporadic, paroxysmal attacks of fever and serosal inflammation described primarily in several ethnic groups originating from Mediterranean region. The most serious complication of FMF is chronic renal failure (CRF) developing due to secondary amyloidosis (1). Clinically evident lung involvement due to FMF associated amyloidosis is extremely rare and occurs in severe cases (2). On the other hand very fine amyloid deposits can be recognized in the peripheral alveolar septa in autopsies of FMF patients (1). Herein we present a case of diffuse pulmonary amyloidosis due to FMF in an asymptomatic patient referred to our clinic with a preliminary diagnosis of miliary tuberculosis. (Published: 29 May 2012) Citation: Libyan J Med 2012, 7 : 18482 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ljm.v7i0.18482