18 F-PSMA-1007 and 18 F-FDG PET/CT Findings of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Mimicking Malignancy.

The use of LigaSure for preservation of a previous coronary artery bypass graft by using the left internal thoracic artery in a left upper lobectomy

The radiographs of 714 patients (486 males, 228 females) with proved pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) were studied. Most were between 15 and 44 years of age, and most (86.8%) exhibited the usual radiographic appearance of PTB. All had extensive bilateral lung disease, with the right upper lobe the most commonly involved. Parenchymal opacities, cavitation, and atelectasis were common. Many radiographic patterns were encountered, and these varied from one radiograph to the next and even within the same radiograph, with two or more patterns seen together. Unusual radiographic manifestations were found in 13.2% of the patients. These included isolated opacities in the lower lobe, middle lobe, or lingula; normal chest radiographs; isolated pleural effusions; isolated mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy, and mass-like lesions. Permanent lung damage could be avoided if the various radiographic features of pulmonary tuberculosis were promptly recognized, thus leading to early treatment.

A new BAL fluid instillation and aspiration technique: A multicenter randomized study

Tc-99m MAA showed asymmetric uptake in the lung field in a 21-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy. CT revealed partial anomalous venous connections in the left upper lobe. Angiogram of the left pulmonary upper lobe showed all the contrast material drained into the left vertical vein. The possible cause of relative increase in the left upper lobe blood flow is that right pulmonary blood flow is slowed by the high pressure in the left atrium due to dilated cardiomyopathy, whereas the flow from the left upper lobe drains into the superior vena cava which has less pressure than left atrium.

THYMOMA MIMICKING A LUNG MASS

BackgroundPneumothorax (PTX) is one of the most common complications of transbronchial biopsy (TBB). Previous research suggests that upper pulmonary lobe TBB may be associated with increased risk of PTX development. The aim of this study was to compare the risk of PTX after TBB performed from different pulmonary lobes.MethodsAll bronchoscopic records from the period January 1st, 2015 - December 31st, 2017 (from the Department of Respiratory Diseases, University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic) were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 3542 bronchoscopic records, 796 patients underwent TBB and were further analyzed. Basic demographic data, TBB procedure-related factors, smoking history and radiological features were analyzed. Furthermore, in patients who developed PTX, PTX onset, PTX symptoms, distribution of the abnormal radiological findings and duration of hospitalization were also analyzed.ResultsPatients who developed PTX had significantly lower body mass index (BMI) and more than 4 samples taken during procedure (all p < 0.05). TBB performed from the left upper pulmonary lobe was associated with a significant risk of PTX development (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.18–4.35; p = 0.02). On the contrary, TBB performed from the right lower lobe was associated with a significant reduction of risk of developing PTX (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.22–0.98; p = 0.04). Logistic regression analysis showed BMI (OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.02–1.16; p = 0.01), left upper lobe as sampling site (OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.13–4.11; p = 0.02) and more than 4 samples taken (OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.04–3.49; p = 0.04) to be significantly associated with PTX development.ConclusionsWe conclude that TBB from the left upper pulmonary lobe is associated with significantly increased risk of post-procedural PTX. The right lower pulmonary lobe seems to be the safest sampling site to perform TBB. In patients with diffuse-type pulmonary disease, TBB should be performed preferably from the right lower lobe in order to decrease the risk of post-procedural PTX.

Although various types of segmentectomy are frequently performed for resecting lung tumours at present, there is no clear answer to the question what kind of segmentectomy would be more efficient for performing lymphadenectomy. Learning the embryological mechanism of the segment formation could be one of the methods for selecting the surgical procedure. To investigate the developmental mechanism of the lung, this study focused on 'sharing structure', a unique 3D structure consisting of the bronchi and pulmonary arteries. In the structure, two arteries from different directions, after straddling the bronchus in the central part, share one bronchial tree at the peripheral part. Using computed tomography data obtained before segmentectomy, this study observed the 'sharing structure' in 193 left and right upper lobe cases. This study investigated the relationship between the segmental arterial types and the straddled bronchi, which were straddled by the pulmonary arteries found in the centre of the sharing structure. In the right upper lobes, the straddled bronchi were anterior segmental bronchi. In the left upper lobes, however, the straddled bronchi of the lingular interlobar pulmonary artery type contained no anterior segmental bronchi. But, the straddled bronchi of lingular mediastinal pulmonary artery type contained anterior segmental bronchi in all cases. Although pulmonary arteries in almost all sharing structures in the right upper lobes straddled anterior bronchi, those in mediastinal type and interlobar type in the left upper lobe were found to straddle the anterior and apicoposterior bronchi, respectively. These findings indicated that the interlobar type was speculated to be rotating mediastinal type backward in the embryonic period. This study strongly suggested a new concept that 'the lung segments never continuously exist from the early stage of the embryonic period as units, but they are only simple units artificially named by their prevailing bronchial branching patterns'. Therefore, during segmentectomy including lymphadenectomy for pulmonary tumours, the retrieval of the branching patters of pulmonary arteries could allow the segmentectomy to become more efficient with considering the formations of lung lobes.

A 50-Year-Old Woman With a History of Atrial Fibrillation Presents With Acute Dyspnea and Pleuritic Chest Pain

Cytomorphology of giant cell tumor of bone in pleural fluid

Robotic left apicoposterior bisegmentectomy for non–small cell lung cancer

Particulate matter deposition and its impact on tuberculosis severity: A cross-sectional study in Taipei

A 58-year-old Japanese woman with fever and cough visited A hospital. Her chest X-ray and CT showed a tumor attached to the mediastinum in the left upper lobe with mediastinal lymphadenopathy (#4R). After an introduction from A hospital to our hospital, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for the mediastinal lymphadenopathy and a simultaneous approach to the mass lesion in the left upper lobe were performed. In spite of twice aspiration by EBUS-TBNA for mediastinal lymphadenopathy, we failed to obtain enough specimens, and, as the mass lesion in the left upper lobe was invisible in the endobronchial ultrasound, we could not approach it. Then using the same ultrasound bronchoscope, we subsequently performed a transesophageal endoscopic ultrasound with bronchoscope-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-B-FNA) to the mass lesion in the left upper lobe twice, with the result that sufficient tissues were obtained. Then we changed from the ultrasound bronchoscope to a normal bronchoscope and we performed brushing and transbronchial lung biopsy for the left upper lobe mass lesion. Pathological results revealed that only the specimens obtained by EUS-B-FNA were diagnostic for adenocarcinoma; the other specimens obtained using EBUS-TBNA and normal bronchoscope failed to be diagnostic. EUS-B-FNA in combination with EBUS-TBNA has been recommended for the diagnosis of mediastinal and near-mediastinal lesions in the guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians in 2013, but EUS-B-FNA has not been widely used in Japan. As shown in our present patient who was successfully diagnosed as having lung cancer by EUS-B-FNA alone, respiratory physicians should be aware of being skillful at performing EUS-B-FNA to accurately and effectively approach target lesions.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer are becoming increasingly prevalent especially in developing countries. The occurrence of lung cancer after 30 years of completed pulmonary TB treatment is rare. We report a rare occurrence of a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the post TB lung after 30 years of completed pulmonary tuberculosis treatment. A 60-year-old male, an apparently healthy nonsmoker, presented with a community-acquired Klebsiella pneumonia. Imaging revealed a destroyed left lung with cavities with air-fluid levels. An enhancing lesion was noted at the left upper lobe, and a guided biopsy revealed a SCC. He was fit for surgery and underwent an open left pneumonectomy. The left lung was destroyed and cavitatory due to the previous tuberculosis. A peripherally located tumor was noted in the left upper lobe. Histology revealed a moderately differentiated keratinizing type SCC (pT4N0Mx). The negative cultures and histology excluded an active pulmonary tuberculosis. The postsurgical lung function at 1 month showed satisfactory improvement with good functional capacity. He was then referred to the oncologist for adjuvant therapy. The occurrence of post-TB lung cancer after 30 years in an otherwise healthy male without active TB suggests an increased long-term risk of cancer even in the absence of other robust risk factors. Therefore, the chronic inflammatory process in the diseased lung is probably the cause for lung cancer in the absence of active TB. Thus, we suggest long-term surveillance after completed pulmonary TB treatment even in otherwise healthy asymptomatic individuals.

AN INCIDENTAL FINDING OF ASYMPTOMATIC PULMONARY MUCORMYCOSIS IN A PATIENT WITH DIABETES

A 67-year-old man with a 20 pack-year smoking history presented to our hospital with a month-long persistent cough. Blood tests showed elevated serum tumour biomarkers including neuron-specific enolase and carcinoembryonic...