Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
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Pulmonary infections decisively contribute to morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Bacterial, mycobacterial and infections with Pneumocystis carinii have been reviewed in an article in the last issue of Respiration. In this review, viral and fungal pulmonary infections are discussed in HIV-positive patients and in patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy, stem cell or solid-organ transplantation.
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Consuming Sauropus androgynus, a Malaysian plant, to reduce body weight began to become fashionable in Taiwan in 1994. According to some reports, people consuming this vegetable developed lung injuries. From July to November 1995, there were 81 nonsmoking women admitted to our hospital. ⋯ Besides, we found that the DTPA lung scan was more sensitive than chest x-ray and PFT in detecting the lung injuries related to the consumption of S. androgynus (p < 0.05). Consuming S. androgynus can result in symptomatic or asymptomatic lung injuries, manifested as obstructive or restrictive ventilatory impairment, unhomogeneous radioaerosol distribution, and increased alveolar epithelial permeability. In addition, measurement of the 99mTc-DTPA clearance is the most sensitive test to detect the lung injuries caused by consuming S. androgynus.
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Case Reports
Expression of CA125 in thoracic endometriosis in a patient with catamenial pneumothorax.
A 40-year-old woman had experienced monthly right thoracic pain and productive cough occurring at the beginning of her menstrual period. X-ray findings indicated a diagnosis of catamenial pneumothorax. The serum CA125 level was very high at 159.6 U/ml. ⋯ Following partial resection of the diaphragm thoracic endometriosis was diagnosed. Immunohistochemical staining of these endometrial cells showed antibodies to CA125. She has been well without recurrence for 15 months, and her serum CA125 level was within the normal range after operation.