Revue des maladies respiratoires
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The occurrence of life threatening severe respiratory failure in patients with an incurable illness may be an indication for the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV). ⋯ NIV may palliate symptoms in patients near the end of life. In the case of severe ARF in patients with do-not-intubate orders, NIV may avoid the need for endotracheal mechanical ventilation, most often in patients with COPD or cardiogenic pulmonary oedema. NIV may help some patients to forego endotracheal intubation. Future studies are needed to examine the attitudes of patients and families to this intervention.
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Thoracic endometriosis has been considered a rare clinical condition but it is probably underestimated in the literature. Various clinical symptoms may occur but the most frequent are catamenial pneumothoraces. ⋯ The resection of suspected areas of visceral or parietal pleural endometriosis, as well as partial resection of the diaphragm in the case of nodules and/or perforations, allows the histological diagnosis of endometriosis. Because of the high recurrence rate, treatment of catamenial pneumothoraces should combine surgery and hormonal therapy.