Publications by authors named "Briens E"

Background And Objective: EpiGETIF is a web-based, multicentre clinical database created in 2019 aiming for prospective collection of data regarding therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy (TB) for malignant central airway obstruction (MCAO).

Methods: Patients were enrolled into the registry from January 2019 to November 2022. Data were prospectively entered through a web-interface, using standardized definitions for each item.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: About 10% of the 300 million people worldwide who suffer from asthma have a severe disease that is uncontrolled despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta agonists. The eosinophilic inflammation pathway in the respiratory tract and blood is involved and interleukin-5 (IL-5) has recently been identified as a major promotor of this pathway. The anti-IL-5 antibodies reduce the incidence of exacerbation and allowed steroid sparing in severe asthma patients but only two case reports have been published on their use in critical care.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Alveolar proteinosis (AP) is a rare disease characterized by alveolar accumulation of surfactant components, which impairs gas exchange. AP is classified into three groups: auto-immune AP defined by the presence of plasma autoantibodies anti-GM-CSF, the most frequent form (90% of all AP); secondary AP, mainly occurring as a consequence of haematological diseases, or following on from toxic inhalation or infections, and genetic AP, which affects almost exclusively children. AP diagnosis is suspected where chest CT-scan demonstrates interstitial lung disease with a crazy paving aspect; and confirmed by bronchoalveolar lavage, which has a milky appearance and contains periodic acid Schiff positive proteinaceous alveolar deposits.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pulmonary alveolar phospholipoproteinosis is a rare lung disease of unknown cause characterized by surfactant plugging of the alveoli. At the present time, surgical lung biopsy, long considered as the gold standard, is not necessary for positive diagnosis of pulmonary alveolar phospholipoproteinosis when computed tomography anomalies and analysis of bronchial lavage fluids present a typical pattern. Treatment requires abundant lavage, but the demonstration of anti-GM-CSF antibodies in primary forms opens new therapeutic perspectives.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare, diffuse infiltrative lung disease of unknown etiology characterized by accumulation of abnormal lung surfactant in the alveoli and distal airways. Although it was first described in 1958, few large scale studies have been published. The diagnosis is conventionally based on lung biopsy and the value of less invasive procedures such as bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) remains controversial.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tracheobronchomegaly is defined as a dilatation of the trachea and the large bronchi. It may occur as a familial condition or in association with a connective tissue disease, e.g.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Physical and psychological fitness are required for scuba diving, leading to medical contraindications in certain subjects. Asthma, a condition exhibiting increasing prevalence in the general population is currently considered an absolute contraindication for scuba diving by the French Federation for Submarine Sports and Education (FFESSM). There is however no documented evidence demonstrating a higher risk in asthmatic divers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diffuse idiopathic pneumonia with alveolar filling gather disorders whose clinical and radiological aspects are varied. It is important to precisely identify them because of the prognostic and therapeutic implications suitable for each one of them. Among these, it is necessary to distinguish the eosinophilic pneumonias, wether acute or chronic, which are characterized by circulating and (or) alveolar hypereosinophilies; the diffuse alveolar haemorrhages whose potential severity requires an early recognition in order to institute a treatment without delay; the pulmonary alveolar phospholipoproteinosis can be easily evoked because of their particular radiological features, associated with a lactescent aspect of bronchoalveolar lavage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: In hematologic malignancies, respiratory syncytial viral infections can be explained by neutropenia, and cellular and humoral immunodepression, and may cause severe respiratory infections.

Exegesis: Four patients with hematologic malignancies developed a severe respiratory syncytial virus infection. Three of them had previously received autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Study Aims: Locoregional progression of esophageal cancer can result in respiratory distress aving to tracheoesophageal (T-E) fistula or central airways stenosis. We report our experience of airway stenting in 51 patients with esophageal carcinoma involving the central airways.

Patients And Methods: All data were recorded retrospectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We report the case of a patient aged 49 who presented with a picture of an acute respiratory distress syndrome developing over several days after the preventative treatment of a burn using chloroquine (Nivaquine). The combination of clinical data, radiological and clinical as well as the broncho-alveolar lavage, enabled a diagnosis of acute eosinophilic pneumonia to be made according to Allen's criteria. The outcome after stopping the cloroquine and treating with corticosteroids was rapidly favourable and without any relapse.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pulmonary alvelolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare cause of chronic respiratory failure due to progressive alveolar accumulation of a periodic acid-schiff (PAS) positive proteinaceous material. In some cases, the rapid accumulation of intra-alveolar material leads to acute respiratory failure (ARF). We report the causative role of secondary PAP in the case of a 26-year-old man with acute myeloid leukemia who developed fever, increased serum lactate dehydrogenase level and ARF, and required mechanical ventilation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Epithelioid haemangioendothelioma of the pulmonary vessels is a rare neoplasm which usually has a minimal clinical expression. The present case report describes an exceptional case with severe inaugural alveolar haemorrhage which led to death by acute respiratory failure within a few weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A sensitive and relatively specific tumoral marker for lung epidermoid carcinomas could be used to identify patients likely to benefit from new therapeutic protocols. The cyfra 21-1 fragment of cytokeratin 19 has raised much hope in this regard amongst both technologists and clinicians. In a study of 195 subjects, we have shown by means of a serum assay that the usual cut-off value for this marker (3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We report a case of alveolar haemorrhage in all probability, attributable to the use of anti-vitamin K. The favourable outcome of this type of disease has rarely been reported with anticoagulants and fibrinolytics, most frequently in a disturbed haematological setting with disseminated intravascular coagulation or profound thrombocytopaenia. One should not forget this diagnosis in cases of acute respiratory failure in association with an alveolar syndrome in an exposed patient due to the fact that the outcome is generally favourable after correcting the disturbed coagulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mitomycin C is an antibiotic used for its alkylizing effect in the treatment of broncogenic cancer. Haematologic, renal or pulmonary complications are sometimes severe. We report a case in a patient with poorly differentiated epidermoid bronchogenic carcinoma who developed clinical and radiological signs of bilateral infiltrating pneumonia due to mitomycine.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF