Chest
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The 2011 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)/American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) classification of pulmonary adenocarcinomas introduces adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive carcinoma and categorizes adenocarcinoma with more extensive invasion by the predominant subtype. Data have shown that wedge or segmentectomy (W/S) may be appropriate for in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, but whether sublobar resection is appropriate for tumors with more extensive invasion is unclear. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate whether there are any trends regarding the impact of invasion and subtypes of carcinoma regarding survival in lobectomy vs W/S procedures using a comprehensive histologic evaluation. ⋯ Our findings corroborate the prognostic significance of the 2011 adenocarcinoma subtyping classification and additionally suggest that lobectomy does not offer an overall survival advantage over W/S regardless of histologic subtype. Therefore, this finding suggests that limited resection may be appropriate for small size tumors, particularly those ≤ 2 cm with invasive histology.
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Pulmonary venoocclusive disease (PVOD) is a rare lung disease, diagnosed in 5% to 10% of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). The incidence, prevalence, and etiology of PVOD in children are not well defined. The mortality remains high, related, at least partly, to the limited treatment options. ⋯ PVOD is an important differential diagnosis for pediatric patients with PH. CT scanning is a valuable tool to image lung abnormalities; the definitive diagnosis can only be made by examination of lung biopsy specimens, which subjects the patient to additional risk. Early listing for lung transplantation is essential, as the mean survival time is only 14 months.
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Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is common in elderly patients, but a detailed analysis of the causes of PH in the elderly has not been performed. We hypothesized that pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is rare in elderly patients and sought to describe the characteristics of these patients at a large referral center. ⋯ PAH is an uncommon cause of PH in elderly patients, most frequently associated with connective tissue disease. WHO group 2 PH and mixed disease are common, highlighting a need for careful phenotyping of elderly patients with PH prior to initiating PAH therapy.
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Observational Study
Functional Impact of a Spectrum of Interstitial Lung Abnormalities in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Approximately 10% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have interstitial lung disease (ILD), and one-third have subclinical ILD on chest CT scan. In this study, we aimed to further characterize functional decrements in a spectrum of RA-associated ILD. ⋯ We have shown that patients with RA have varying degrees of ILAs that are associated with a spectrum of functional and physiologic decrements. Our findings suggest that improved risk stratification and detection of ILAs will provide a therapeutic window that could improve RA-ILD outcomes.
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We report a case of a 41-year-old man who was noted to have position-dependent Cheyne-Stokes respiration with central sleep apnea (CSA) during sleep. The patient had multiple cardiovascular risk factors and target organ damages, including a history of two myocardial infarctions, transient ischemic attack, and chronic kidney disease. His hypertension was refractory to a number of antihypertensive medicines, however, a complete elimination of sleep-disordered breathing with oral theophylline treatment was paralleled by a significant BP fall with a subsequent need for reduction of antihypertensive drugs. ⋯ Theophylline discontinuation resulted in a gradual increase in BP and an urgent call for antihypertensive treatment modification. These observations suggest a potent hypotensive action of oral theophylline via Cheyne-Stokes respiration with CSA elimination. Our data suggest that CSA may be a mechanism that raises BP even during the daytime.