Kaku Yoshimi

Prevalence and clinical features of lymphedema in patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

BACKGROUND Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare cystic lung disease predominantly affecting young women. Some of these patients develop lymphedema of the lower extremities and buttocks; however, neither the exact frequency of LAM-associated lymphedema nor the clinical features of such patients is well delineated. OBJECTIVES To document the frequency, features, and treatment of LAM-associated lymphedema. METHODS We reviewed all medical records of patients listed in the Juntendo University LAM registry for the 30 years preceding August 2010. RESULTS Of 228 patients registered with a diagnosis of LAM, eight (3.5%) had LAM-associated lymphedema of the lower extremities. All were females with sporadic LAM, and their mean age when diagnosed was 32.5 years (range 23-44). Lymphedema of the lower extremities was the chief or a prominent presenting feature in five of these LAM patients. CT scans showed that all eight patients had enlarged lymph nodes (lymphangioleiomyomas) in the retroperitoneum and/or pelvic cavity. Yet, cystic destruction of the lungs was mild in four patients, moderate in two and severe only in two. Seven of these patients were treated by administering a fat-restricted diet and complex decongestive physiotherapy, and four received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog. With this combined protocol, all eight patients benefitted from complete relief or good control of the lymphedema. CONCLUSIONS Lymphedema is a rare complication of LAM and may be associated with axial lymphatic involvement or dysfunction rather than severe cystic lung destruction. The combined multimodal treatments used here effectively resolved or controlled LAM-associated lymphedema.

Survey of implementation of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines in nine Asian countries

After the release of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines in 2001 and update in 2003, its implementation in nine Asian countries was investigated. Questionnaire surveys involving thoraco‐pulmonary physicians or internists investigated the awareness and consensus of the GOLD guidelines including the care and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in Asian. Two surveys were conducted, in June 2002 and March 2004, through questionnaires by direct mail in Japan and face‐to‐face interviews in the other countries. Approximately 600 questionnaires were returned with approximately 84% awareness of the publication and its update and nearly 90% appreciated the globalization efforts. The survey revealed great variances concerning the definition of COPD, its diagnosis, and use of computed tomography. As for the implementation, the majority answered the use of the combined local and GOLD guidelines in five of nine countries surveyed, while the GOLD guidelines were implemented mainly in Korea, suggesting the influence in daily practice for care and management of COPD patients. Implication of rehabilitation in clinical practice has not been standardized despite high evidence of its advantages. Most respondents stated the necessity of developing a local or regional guideline for best practice. Our survey revealed: (i) awareness of the GOLD guidelines was high and well accepted; (ii) the possibility of developing a uniform or standard guideline in Asia is low due to local characteristics; (iii) modifications of the GOLD guidelines may be more practical; and (iv) that the multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation program needs to be further activated in GOLD implementation for the Asia–Pacific region.

Do respiratory comorbidities limit the diagnostic usefulness of ultrasound-guided needle aspiration for subpleural lesions?

BACKGROUND The usefulness of ultrasound-guided needle aspiration for subpleural lesions has been reported. However, no reports have evaluated its usefulness and safety in patients with respiratory comorbidities such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial pneumonia (IP), which can increase the risk of iatrogenic pneumothorax. In this study, we evaluated the influence of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) on the usefulness and safety of ultrasound-guided needle aspiration for subpleural lesions. METHODS Between January 2000 and September 2011, we examined 144 patients with intrapulmonary subpleural lesions. We retrospectively reviewed clinical data, including lesion size on thoracic computed tomography (CT), ultrasound findings, pathological findings obtained by ultrasound-guided needle aspiration, final diagnosis, and complications. RESULTS A positive definitive diagnosis was obtained in 74.3% of all 144 patients; 84.7% patients with malignant diseases, including lung cancer; and 26.9% patients with benign diseases. Of the 144 patients, 64 belonged to the CRD group and 80 to the non-CRD group. The former included 31 patients with COPD, six with emphysematous changes on thoracic CT, 17 with IP, and 10 with other diseases. The positive rate of diagnosis for malignant diseases was 84.7% in the CRD group, which was the same as that in the non-CRD group. With regard to complications related to ultrasound-guided aspiration, there were only two cases of pneumothorax in the CRD group and one in the non-CRD group. CONCLUSION Ultrasound-guided aspiration is safe and useful for subpleural lesions, particularly malignant lesions, even in patients with respiratory comorbidities such as COPD and IP.

Protein-losing Enteropathy Caused by Intestinal or Colonic Lymphangiectasia Complicated by Sporadic Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: A Report of Two Cases

This report describes two patients with sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis complicated by protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). Imaging studies indicated retroperitoneal lymphangioleiomyomas and abnormalities of the adjacent digestive tract. Endoscopic mucosal biopsy revealed colonic lymphangiectasia in one patient; whereas the site in the other patient was intestinal. Treatment with sirolimus led to the complete resolution of PLE within several months; additionally, marked shrinkage was observed in the lymphangioleiomyomas of both cases. These findings suggest that colonic or intestinal lymphatic congestion due to neighboring lymphangioleiomyomas was the mechanism for the development of PLE. At the time of writing this report, the beneficial effect of sirolimus has lasted for more than 3 years.

Impact of Airflow Limitation on Comorbidities and Postoperative Complications in Patients Undergoing Thoracic Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study

PURPOSE To assess the frequency of airflow limitation (AFL), and the relationship between AFL and preoperative comorbidities or postoperative complications in patients who had undergone thoracic surgery. METHODS The medical records of patients who underwent non-cardiac thoracic surgery at our institution between August 1996 and January 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. On the basis of preoperative pulmonary function tests, patients were classified with those with FEV1/FVC <70% [AFL(+) group] or with FEV1/FVC ≥70% [AFL(-) group]. Patient characteristics, preoperative comorbidities and postoperative complications were compared between the groups. RESULTS Of the 3667 patients assessed, 738 (20.1%) were allocated to the AFL(+) group. AFL was an independent risk factor for three preoperative comorbidities: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (odds ratio [OR]: 4.65), bronchial asthma (OR 4.30) and cardiac diseases (OR 1.41). Airflow limitation was also an independent risk factor for postoperative respiratory failure including long-term oxygen therapy (OR 2.14) and atelectasis (OR 1.90) in the patients who underwent lobectomy or partial resection of the lung. CONCLUSIONS Our retrospective study revealed that careful attention needs to be paid to airflow limitation in patients who undergo non-cardiac thoracic surgery since it appears to be an important feature of preoperative comorbidities and to increase postoperative complications.

Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura: Ultrasonographic imaging findings of 3 cases

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the pleura is a rare tumor of mesenchymal origin. Although radiographic findings of thoracic computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of SFTs of the pleura have been documented, the value of ultrasonography is uncertain. We presented the ultrasonographic findings of 3 pathologically proven cases of SFTs arising from the visceral pleura. In all the cases, thoracic ultrasonography demonstrated homogeneous, hypoechoic, hemicycle, extrapulmonary lesions, which showed respiratory movement with the adjacent lung, consistent with pedunculated tumors. Preoperative thoracic ultrasonography could be useful in the evaluation of patients with pleural tumors, especially SFTs.

COPD assessment test as a possible tool for evaluating health-related quality of life in lymphangioleiomyomatosis

BACKGROUND Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a progressive, cystic lung disease that causes an obstructive ventilatory impairment similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and impairs the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Here, we extended the use of the COPD assessment test (CAT) to patients with chronic respiratory diseases other than COPD. Specifically, the CAT was administered to patients with LAM for the first time. METHODS Using data from 25 patients with LAM at Juntendo University who participated in the Multicenter Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Sirolimus Trial for Safety (MLSTS), we evaluated changes in pulmonary function, responses to HRQoL questionnaires (the CAT, St. George׳s Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ], EuroQOL Visual Analogue Scale [EuroQOL-VAS], and Functional Performance Inventory [FPI]), and the association between pulmonary function and HRQoL during a 24-month period of sirolimus treatment. RESULTS Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and CAT total scores improved over the 24 months of sirolimus treatment (5.33 ± 1.20 ml/month, 2.61 ± 1.16 ml/month, and -0.127 ± 0.022 score/month, respectively), whereas SGRQ total score, EuroQOL-VAS score, and FPI score did not. Most pulmonary functions at baseline were associated with the CAT breathlessness score during the first year. Longitudinal changes in FEV1, FEV1%predicted, or FEV1/FVC correlated significantly with the scores of CAT total, CAT breathlessness, and SGRQ activity. When analyzed by stepwise multivariate regression within a linear mixed-effects model, CAT breathlessness and confidence scores were significantly associated with a change in FEV1 from the baseline value (P = 0.0011, and P = 0.0441). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the CAT is a useful instrument for assessing HRQoL in sirolimus-treated patients with LAM.

Effects of transdermal tulobuterol on dyspnea and respiratory function during exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND Poor exercise tolerability is a major barrier to improving the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although COPD is often treated with long-acting β2 adrenergic agonists, few studies have examined their effects on exercise tolerability. METHODS In this study, Japanese COPD patients were treated with 2 mg transdermal tulobuterol, a long-acting β2 agonist, once daily for 4 weeks. Spirometry and exercise tests were conducted at baseline and at the end of treatment. The patients conducted constant load (30 W for 5 min) and incremental load (starting at 10 W and increasing by 10 W every 1 min for 5 min to a maximum load of 50 W) exercise tests on a cycle ergometer. RESULTS Thirteen patients with stable COPD participated in this study (mean age ± standard deviation (SD), 69.5±9.7 years; smoking history 55.9±27.8 pack-years). Resting spirometric parameters were unchanged at the end of treatment. The maximum Borg scale for dyspnea and the Borg scale slope (BSS) decreased significantly from baseline to the end of treatment. The threshold load of dyspnea (TLD) increased slightly, although not significantly, in the constant load test but not in the incremental load test. There were no changes in respiratory parameters during exercise after treatment. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we found that treatment with transdermal tulobuterol for 4 weeks improved self-assessed dyspnea in Japanese COPD patients during constant and incremental exercise tests. This improvement in dyspnea may encourage patients to perform daily life activities or regular physical activity.