Murat Acat

Lymph node characteristics of sarcoidosis with endobronchial ultrasound

Background: Sonographic features of lymph nodes on endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) have been shown to be useful in prediction of malignancy in mediastinum and hilum. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of morphologic features of mediastinal and/or hilar lymph nodes obtained by EBUS in patients with sarcoidosis. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 224 patients with mediastinal/hilar lymph node enlargements who underwent EBUS for diagnostic purpose. The lymph nodes were characterized based on the EBUS images as follows: (1) Size; based on short-axis dimension, <1 cm or ≥1 cm, (2) shape; oval or round, (3) margin; distinct or indistinct, (4) echogenicity; homogeneous or heterogeneous, (5) presence or absence of central hilar structure, and (6) presence or absence of granular (sandpaper) appearance. Results: One hundred (24.4%) nodes exhibited indistinct margins while 309 (75.6%) had distinct margins. One hundred and ninety nine (48.7%) nodes were characterized as homogeneous, and 210 (51.3%) nodes as heterogeneous. Granular appearance was observed in 130 (31.8%) lymph nodes. The presence of granules in lymph nodes on EBUS had the highest specificity (99.3%) for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Logistic regression analysis revealed the finding of distinct margin alone as an independent predictive factor for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Conclusions: The presence of granular appearance in lymph nodes by EBUS had the highest specificity (99.3%) for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Lymph nodes having distinct margins tend to suggest sarcoidosis.

Combination and comparison of two models in prognosis of pulmonary embolism: Results from TUrkey Pulmonary Embolism Group (TUPEG) study☆

BACKGROUND Clinical parameters, biomarkers and imaging-based risk stratification are widely accepted in pulmonary embolism(PE). The present study has investigated the prognostic role of simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) score and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) model. METHODS This prospective cohort study included a total of 1078 patients from a multi-center registry, with objectively confirmed acute symptomatic PE. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality during the first 30days, and the secondary endpoint included all-cause mortality, nonfatal symptomatic recurrent PE, or nonfatal major bleeding. RESULTS Of the 1078 study patients, 95 (8.8%) died within 30days of diagnosis. There was no significant difference between non-low-risk patients ESC [12.2% (103 of 754;)] and high-risk patients as per the sPESI [11.6% (103 of 796)] for 30-day mortality. The nonfatal secondary endpoint occurred in 2.8% of patients in the the sPESI low-risk and 1.9% in the ESC low-risk group. Thirty-day mortality occurred in 2.2% of patients the sPESI low-risk and in 2.2% the ESC low-risk group (P=NS). In the present study, in the combination of the sPESI low-risk and ESC model low-risk mortality rate was 0%. CONCLUSIONS The sPESI and the ESC model showed a similar performance regarding 30-day mortality and secondary outcomes in the present study. However, the combination of these two models appears to be particularly valuable in PE.

An unusual case of pulmonary nocardiosis in immunocompetent patient.

Pulmonary nocardiosis is a subacute or chronic necrotizing pneumonia caused by aerobic actinomycetes of the genus Nocardia and rare in immune-competent patients. A 35-year-old male, who had treated with antituberculosis drugs, presented with cough, dyspnea, and expectoration with episodes of hemoptysis with purulent sputum. The diagnosis of nocardiosis was made by microscopic examination of the surgically resected portion of the lung and revealed filamentous Gram-positive bacteria.

Pulmonary Cement Embolism following Percutaneous Vertebroplasty

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a minimal invasive procedure that is applied for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. During vertebroplasty, the leakage of bone cement outside the vertebral body leads to pulmonary cement embolism, which is a serious complication of this procedure. Here we report a 48-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital with dyspnea after percutaneous vertebroplasty and diagnosed as pulmonary cement embolism.

Tracheobronchial Amyloidosis Mimicking Tracheal Tumor

Tracheobronchial amyloidosis is a rare presentation and accounts for about 1% of benign tumors in this area. The diagnosis of disease is delayed due to nonspecific pulmonary symptoms. Therapeutic approaches are required to control progressive pulmonary symptoms for most of the patients. Herein, we report a case of a 68-year-old man admitted with progressive dyspnea to our institution for further evaluation and management. He was initially diagnosed with and underwent management for bronchial asthma for two years but had persistent symptoms despite optimal medical therapy. Pulmonary computed tomography scan revealed severe endotracheal stenosis. Bronchoscopy was performed and showed endotracheal mass obstructing 70% of the distal trachea and mimicking a neoplastic lesion. The mass was successfully resected by mechanical resection, argon plasma coagulation (APC), and Nd-YAG laser during rigid bronchoscopy. Biopsy materials showed deposits of amorphous material by hematoxylin and eosin staining and these deposits were selectively stained with Congo Red. Although this is a rare clinical condition, this case indicated that carrying out a bronchoscopy in any patient complaining of atypical bronchial symptoms or with uncontrolled asthma is very important.

Association of Fragmented QRS with Subclinical Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether fragmented QRS (fQRS) is associated with subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Subjects and Methods: A total of 141 patients with OSA who had normal LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were included in the study. The fQRS was defined as the presence of an additional R wave, notching of R or S wave or the presence of fragmentation in 2 contiguous electrocardiography (ECG) leads. Subclinical LV dysfunction was defined as the presence of a tissue Doppler-derived Tei index of ≥0.5 in the absence of impaired LVEF (<50%) as assessed by transthoracic echocardiography. Results: Of the 141 patients, 71 (50.4%) had subclinical LV dysfunction. Overall, the prevalence of the fQRS was 61% (86/141). Patients with fQRS had significantly higher Tei indices than those without fQRS [median 0.66, interquartile range (IQR) 0.39 vs. median 0.40, IQR 0.15, p < 0.001]. The presence of fQRS on ECG predicted subclinical LV dysfunction in univariate logistic regression analysis [odds ratio (OR) 6.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.10-14.43]. The association remained significant after adjusting for all potential confounders (OR 4.59, 95% CI 1.94-10.87). Conclusion: fQRS on ECG was an independent predictor of subclinical LV dysfunction in patients with OSA. This simple tool might help to identify OSA patients who could be at risk for developing overt cardiac dysfunction.

Primary pulmonary lymphoma: four different and unusual radiologic and clinical manifestations

Elif Tanriverdi, Murat Acat, Guler Ozgul, Kenan Abbasli, Sule Gul, Zehra Yasar, Mustafa Cortuk, Neslihan Akanil Fener, Hasan Akin, Mehmet Akif Ozgul and Erdogan Cetinkaya Department of Chest Diseases, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; Department of Chest Diseases, Karab€uk University Faculty of Medicine, Karab€ uk, Turkey; Department of Chest Diseases, Ba gcılar Education and Research Hospital, _Istanbul, Turkey; Department of Chest Diseases, Abant _Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey; Department of Pathology, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

A rare tumor of trachea: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor diagnosis and endoscopic treatment

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are rare childhood neoplasms, with benign clinical course. Although etiology of IMTs are not clear, recent studies have reported that IMT is a true neoplasm rather than a reactive or inflammatory lesion. IMTs are rarely seen in adults and tracheal involvement is also rare both in adults and also in children. We describe a 16-year old female patient who was misdiagnosed and treated as asthma in another center for a few months and presented with acute respiratory distress due to upper airway obstruction. Computerized tomography (CT) of the chest and rigid bronchoscopy revealed a mass lesion that was nearly totally obliterating tracheal lumen. Bronchoscopic resection was performed under general anesthesia and the final pathological diagnosis was tracheal IMT.

Evaluation of multidrug resistance-1 gene C>T polymorphism frequency in patients with asthma

OBJECTIVES: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by bronchial hyperresponsiveness and airflow obstruction. Genetic and oxidative stress factors, in addition to pulmonary and systemic inflammatory processes, play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of asthma. The products of the multidrug resistance-1 gene protect lung tissue from oxidative stress. Here, we aimed to evaluate the association between the multidrug resistance-1 gene C>T polymorphism and asthma with regard to oxidative stress-related parameters of asthmatic patients. METHODS: Forty-five patients with asthma and 27 healthy age-matched controls were included in this study. Blood samples were collected in tubes with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. DNA was extracted from the blood samples. The multidrug resistance-1 gene polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction and a subsequent enzyme digestion technique. The serum levels of total oxidant status and total antioxidant status were determined by the colorimetric measurement method. RESULTS: The heterozygous polymorphic genotype was the most frequent in both groups. A significant difference in the multidrug resistance-1 genotype frequencies between groups indicated an association of asthma with the TT genotype. A significant difference between groups was found for wild type homozygous participants and carriers of polymorphic allele participants. The frequency of the T allele was significantly higher in asthmatic patients. The increase in the oxidative stress index parameter was significant in the asthma group compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The multidrug resistance-1 gene C/T polymorphism may be an underlying genetic risk factor for the development of asthma via oxidant-antioxidant imbalance, leading to increased oxidative stress.

Intrathoracic migration of a Kirschner wire

Kirschner (K) wires can easily migrate, resulting in serious complications. We report a 49-year-old woman who had a rare and late complication related to the migration of K wire. It had been used for left hip replacement 8 years ago. The patient admitted to our hospital with breathing-dependent chest pain and increasing dyspnea for ∼2 h. Chest X-ray and chest computed tomographic scans revealed the presence of a metallic image of ∼5–6 cm in the right hemithorax. There was a large hemothorax but no pneumothorax. A right thoracotomy was performed and the wire was removed without complications. Surprisingly, no injury was noted to any intervening abdominal structure intra-operatively. Patients, who are treated with K wire, should be informed of the risk of wire migration and should undergo regular postoperative follow-ups including radiography.