BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disorder of unknown cause that primarily affects the lungs. The diagnosis is based on the clinical manifestations, radiological findings and histological examination. OBJECTIVES: To review and illustrate the typical and atypical radiological findings of sarcoidosis in the chest. METHODS: We analyzed the radiographic thoracic findings ...

There is increasing interest in identifying a blood-based marker for the asbestos-related tumor, malignant mesothelioma. Three potential markers for mesothelioma are mesothelin, megakaryocyte potentiating factor (MPF) and osteopontin. The purpose of the current study was to directly compare these biomarkers in the same sample population, determining their sensitivity and specificity ...

Hepatic hydrothorax is defined as the development of significant pleural effusion in a patient with cirrhosis without primary pulmonary or cardiac disease. This complication is seen in 4-10% of patients with cirrhosis. The pleural effusion is a result of a direct passage of ascitic fluid into the pleural cavity through ...

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the human immunodeficiency virus has reached epidemic proportions in South Africa. Cardiac involvement occurs in approximately one per cent of patients suffering from active tuberculosis. This concerns predominantly pericardial involvement, resulting in chronic pericardial effusions, cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis. Effusive-constrictive pericarditis is a clinical ...

To study the value of adenosine deaminase level in tuber-cular pleural effusion. A hospital based observational study. Out and In patients service of department of Tuberculosis & Chest Diseases, MLN Medical College Allahabad. 50 consecutive patients of pleural effusion, who were above the age of 12 years, were studied. Pleural ...

Emergency department patients with altered mental status (AMS) regularly undergo a routine chest radiograph at our institution. While there are many causes of chest pathology seen on the chest radiograph that may cause an altered mental status, it is not clear that a routine chest radiograph for these patients affects ...

OBJECTIVE: Mediastinal and pleural drains are routinely employed following open-heart surgery to prevent accumulation of blood and fluids in the mediastinum or the pleural cavities. Chest radiographs are obtained after removal of these drains to search for a pneumothorax. We hypothesised that clinical signs and symptoms are sensitive indicators of ...

Fibrin, a homologous polymer, is the natural scaffold of wound healing and therefore a candidate as a carrier for cell transplantation. We explored a novel matrix-based implant cartilage repair composed of both fibrin and hyaluronan in a defined ratio that takes advantage of the biological and mechanical properties of these ...

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and sarcoidosis have an unknown etiology and require, periodic monitoring due to the insidious, unpredictable, and irreversible nature of disease progression. Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) has been used as a non-invasive marker of monitoring airway inflammation in patients with asthma and may have utility in monitoring ...

OBJECTIVE: To present 3 cases of cardiac tamponade and addisonian crisis as the presenting features of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS) type II. METHODS: We present the clinical features, physical examination findings, radiographic findings, and laboratory investigations in 3 patients and provide an overview of the published cases of pericarditis and ...

Pulmonary cavitary lesions in the absence of concomitant comorbidities are an uncommon and often confusing manifestation of sarcoidosis. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) characteristics and the natural history of a series of 23 patients with pulmonary cavitary lesions found on HRCT extracted from a large ...

OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in its advanced stages is complicated by right heart failure and often pericardial effusion. The optimal treatment of large or hemodynamically significant pericardial effusions in this group has not been defined. METHODS: All patients followed at the Johns Hopkins Hospital for PAH during a 1-year ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This descriptive study assessed whether a reusable commercially available surgivac pump was a safe and affordable method for draining chronic malignant pleural effusions with an indwelling pleural catheter. METHODS: Patients who were managed as outpatients using this technique were recruited over a 5-year period in Cairo, Egypt. ...

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of pleural effusion after ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation has been described; however, little has been elucidated about the nature, prevalence, or characteristics of the effusions. Our study details the prevalence of pleural effusion and pleural fluid characteristics in VAD patients at our institution. METHODS: We conducted ...

OBJECTIVE: Chemical pleurodesis is an accepted palliative therapy for patients with recurrent, symptomatic, malignant pleural effusions (MPE). The purpose of the study was to determine the factors that have an effect on successful pleurodesis for MPE. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Eighty-four consecutive patients with biopsy-proven malignant pleural disease and recurrent, symptomatic ...

In July 2002, one of the largest outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease associated with a public bathhouse in Japan occurred in Miyazaki. The local government and the University of Miyazaki performed a retrospective investigation of those persons who were considered to have been exposed to Legionella. This investigation provided a unique ...

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and foremost cause of disability. Based on studies in CAD patients, a focus has been shifted on genetic and inflammatory markers as risk factors for stroke besides deranged lipid profile. The present study was aimed to ascertain the role of Lipoprotein (a), ...

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was: does re-expansion pulmonary oedema exist? Altogether 233 papers were found using the reported search, of which 13 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to identify predictive factors for the development of residual pleural thickening (RPT) in patients with tuberculous pleurisy (TP). METHODS: A retrospective study of patients with pleural tuberculosis. The clinical and radiological characteristics, and measurements of microbiological and biochemical parameters or markers such as ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the performance of an interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) release assay (QuantiFERON-TB 2G assay [QFT-G]) to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in a Japanese general hospital, for the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). DESIGN: We prospectively examined the performance of QFT-G in 194 patients suspected of ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify markers of disseminated infection in patients presenting with pulmonary cryptococcosis. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with pulmonary cryptococcosis at a tertiary hospital between April 1998 and April 2005 were included and their clinical, radiological and pathological data analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (14 male) ...

Sarcoidosis is a chronic disease of unknown etiology characterized by the presence of T lymphocytes, mononuclear phagocytes, and noncaseating epithelioid granulomas in the tissues. Central nervous system involvement occurs in about 5% of the cases. The chronic form of neurosarcoidosis is particularly resistant to medical treatments. No universally accepted therapeutic ...

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and location of enlarged mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) due to chronic pulmonary thromboembolism (CPTE) and to identify possible causes. Thoracic CT images of 85 patients (43 men and 42 women, aged 18-80 ...

This study was carried out to determine findings on chest radiographs in HIV positive/AIDS patients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Benin City. All consecutive HIV positive/AIDS patients, managed at the UBTH between 1991 and 2001 were included in the study. Patients had postero-anterior (PA) chest radiographs done ...

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease characterized by chronic granulomatous inflammation. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was reported in less than 1% of patients of sarcoidosis. The prevalence of tubulo-interstitial nephritis (TIN) in sarcoidosis varies from 7 to 27%. In this retrospective study, we present 15 patients with interstitial or glomerular renal ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has increased substantially in the past 20 years, however, there are no data specific to Iran. This study investigated patients suspected to have MDR-TB, attending the TB referral hospital in Iran. METHODS: All patients suspected of having MDR-TB on hospital admission ...

PURPOSE: Sarcoidosis affected lungs detected in more than 90% of patients. The relationship between different stages of pulmonary sarcoidosis and pulmonary function tests (PFT) as well as bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cells can be established. Geographic and ethnic factors are known to be linked to the specific characteristics of patients ...

BACKGROUND: In the presence of a compatible clinical picture, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis requires pathologic confirmation of noncaseating epithelioid granuloma in affected tissues. The standard procedure of choice for most patients is a bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy (TBB), which has a diagnostic yield of 40% to 90%. The lowest yield ...

BACKGROUND: Facial lesions including lupus pernio are often a form of chronic cutaneous sarcoidosis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the intra- and inter-observer consistency of objective measures of chronic facial lesions. METHOD: This was a retrospective study of patients with chronic cutaneous facial lesions including lupus pernio. The lesions were evaluated using ...

Pleural effusions (PEs) are common in critically ill patients mainly as a consequence of severe cardiopulmonary disorders frequently encountered in these patients. Their impact on the pathophysiology of acute respiratory failure remains unknown. They are usually small and uncomplicated transudates that are easily overlooked on a supine portable chest X-ray ...

BACKGROUND: Pleural effusion is uncommon at diagnosis of neuroblastoma in children. Because the presence of malignant cells in pleural fluid may significantly change the management and outcome of patients with neuroblastoma, we retrospectively analyzed a cohort of neuroblastoma patients who presented with pleural effusion at the time of diagnosis to ...

RATIONALE: Sarcoidosis is known as a disease with high heterogeneity in clinical severity and inflammatory activity. On the basis of radiologic criteria, John Guyette Scadding developed a classification system, which is widely used, but is insufficient for clinical decision making. Therefore, biomarkers and genetic markers that predict outcome are urgently ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The prognosis of sarcoidosis is highly variable, with spontaneous remission in some patients. Apoptosis may be associated with spontaneous resolution of the granulomata. CD95 (Fas), an apoptotic molecule, and CD29 and CD45RO (T-cell memory markers) are expressed at higher levels on T lymphocytes from sarcoid patients compared ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients and active sarcoidosis patients in relation to the (67)Ga scan findings. METHODS: A total of 29 adenopathy patients suspected of having non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or sarcoidosis were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent a whole-body (67)Ga scan ...

BACKGROUND: Because most cases are clinically silent, the incidence, clinical course, and outcome of pericardial involvement in Hodgkin lymphoma are unknown. METHODS: Records of all patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma treated at our institution between 1991 and 2004 were reviewed. Pericardial involvement was identified by computerized tomography (CT) as ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common hereditary disease with prominent connective tissue manifestations. A frequent occurrence of asymptomatic pericardial effusion has been observed in patients with ADPKD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Consecutive computed tomography scans from 60 patients with ADPKD (group 1), 100 ...

An endemic outbreak of melioidosis developed in southern Taiwan following a flood caused by a typhoon in July 2005. A total of 27 patients were diagnosed with the acute and indigenous form of pulmonary melioidosis. Parapneumonic pleural effusions were noted on chest X-rays in six patients. Thoracentesis was done in ...

An 89-year-old patient was admitted to the emergency department (ED) because of sudden onset of chest pain. The chest radiograph appeared to show a detachment of the pleura on the right side. The diagnosis of a pneumothorax was made. Insertion of a chest tube was indicated, but the patient refused ...

BACKGROUND: The myeloid-related protein complex (MRP8/14) is expressed in activated human macrophages and reported to be involved in the inflammatory process. The expression of MRP8/14 in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Serum MRP8/14 levels were measured in 35 patients with sarcoidosis ...

Sarcoidosis is an immune-mediated, multiorgan, granulomatous disease triggered by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Numerous studies have reported about an association of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles with sarcoidosis, with variation of alleles in different ethnic groups. Therefore, we investigated 142 Croatian sarcoidosis patients treated at the University ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the uptake and -washout of I-123 meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), reflecting norepinephrine metabolism, in the lungs in patients with sarcoidosis. METHODS: Lung I-123 MIBG kinetics was assessed in 43 patients with sarcoidosis. The range of disease duration was 1-16 years (median: 3 years). ...

A 53-year-old-male developed atrioventricular block in January 2001. A chest X-ray and laboratory tests, including serum angiotensin converting enzyme, were normal. The patient underwent permanent pacemaker implantation and attended for semiannual follow-up after discharge since the etiology of advanced atrioventricular block remains unknown. One year later, the patient was diagnosed ...

OBJECTIVE: Mediastinal shift and rotation after pneumonectomy can lead to severe symptomatic airway compression. Historically, a variety of treatments, such as muscle-flap transposition, pericardial fixation, and plombage, have been used. In this study we retrospectively evaluated the effectiveness of intrathoracic tissue expansion in postpneumonectomy syndrome. METHODS: Since 1990, our center ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A variety of markers, such as serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (sACE) and CXR have been used to evaluate the disease activity and progression of sarcoidosis. There are patients who have developed cardiac involvement several years after the initial diagnosis despite stable or decreased disease activity. This study clarified ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To describe the value and limitations of using the 6-min test in assessing patients with sarcoidosis. RECENT FINDINGS: Static lung function studies and chest roentgenogram do not correlate well with the symptoms of sarcoidosis patients. In particular, dyspnea is a common complaint of sarcoidosis patients, which may ...

BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis coexisting with autoimmune disorders, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD), has been previously described and a common immunopathogenesis has been proposed. We report a series of ten new cases of this association from a large series of patients with sarcoidosis. METHODS: The clinical records of patients diagnosed with ...

BACKGROUND: Particular interest has been recently addressed to the association between a Granulomatous Sarcoidosis-like Disease (GSa-LD) and Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVI). METHODS: The present paper discusses the clinical and immunopathological findings of the association between CVI and GSa-LD, based on four patients, whose clinical course was followed for about seven ...

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value and safety of thoracentesis in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. We identified all hospitalized HSCT recipients who underwent thoracentesis from 1998 to 2006. We collected patients' clinical characteristics, indications for thoracenstesis, the complications of the procedure, and the ...

The objective of this study was to determine the contemporary etiologies, treatment, and outcomes of moderate and large pericardial effusions in pediatric patients. We reviewed pediatric patients with moderate or large effusions diagnosed at Children's Hospital Boston. Effusion size was determined in offline review of echocardiograms. One hundred sixteen patients ...

The tuberculosis (TB) notification rate is high and increasing in 2 communities in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2002, we conducted a prevalence survey among adults > or = 15 years of age to determine the TB prevalence rate; 15% of households in these communities were randomly sampled. All persons ...