Advances in respiratory medicine
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Mycobacterial lung disease is caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), also known as atypical mycobacteria. NTM are widely distributed in the environment, particularly in soil and water; they may colonize the airways, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system, without the apparent signs of disease. ⋯ Recently, increased recognition of mycobacterial lung disease in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients has been observed, especially in those treated with high doses of inhaled corticosteroids. In the present paper, we describe the patient treated for many years due to COPD and bronchiectasis, with clinical and radiological picture suggestive of lung tumor, in whom final diagnosis of mycobacterial lung disease caused by Mycobacterium avium was made.
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Transthoracic ultrasound has lately emerged as a useful diagnostic tool for respiratory physicians in the diagnosis of diverse pulmonary diseases, usually including pleural effusion and pneumothorax. However, the use of chest ultrasound may be also critical in the evaluation of chest wall diseases. Therefore, we present an interesting case of a patient with metastases of lung cancer to the rib, detected during the chest wall ultrasound examination. By representing a non-invasive, surface-imaging technique with several advantages, chest ultrasound may evolve to a valid, bed-side diagnostic tool for the diagnosis and follow up of lung cancer with metastases in the chest wall.
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Chest X-ray (CXR) has been used since long as an aid in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and also to determine the extent of the disease. The present study was conducted to evaluate the correlation of disease extent on CXR basing on the Timika CXR score with clinical and microbiological parameters at baseline, in sputum positive cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. ⋯ Cavitary disease on CXR is associated with a higher mycobacterial load at baseline. The Timika CXR score is a simple, standard scoring system which can be used by a chest physician in a clinical setting. The CXR score significantly correlates with a broad range of clinical and microbiological measures of disease severity in PTB patients. Thus, it has a role in risk stratification, especially in patients not producing sputum or sputum negative PTB at diagnosis.
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Lung cancer is the most common cancer in Poland and worldwide, and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Compared to the present day, the annual number of new cases of lung cancer will have increased by approximately 50%, by 2030. The overall ratio of mortality to incidence totals 0.87 and is among the highest. The five-year survival rate in Poland has recently achieved 13.4%. In 2015, lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) was introduced to routine clinical practice in the United States following the publication of the largest randomised study, The National Lung Screening Trial. The implementation of screening programmes in Poland and the rest of Europe also seems unavoidable. Due to the differences, both in the socioeconomic considerations and healthcare funding, compared to that in the United States, the current approach comes down to the awaited results of the European randomised study, NELSON. ⋯ Primary and secondary prophylaxis are the principal ways to reduce lung cancer mortality. While smoking cessation is a task of utmost importance, it must be accompanied by an effective screening programme if the outcome of the disease is to be improved.
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Castleman's disease is a rare benign lymphoproliferative disorder of unknown etiology. The disease occurs in two clinical forms with different prognoses, treatments and symptoms: a unicentric form (UCD), which is solitary, localized, and a multicentric form characterized by generalized lymphadenopathy and systemic symptoms. This article aims to review the current literature to consolidate the evidence surrounding the curative potential of surgical treatment to the unicentric type. ⋯ We conclude that surgical resection appears to be the most effective treatment for Unicentric Castleman's Disease of the thoracic cavity. Radiotherapy can also achieve clinical response and cure in selected patients.