A randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of L-carnitine L-tartrate to modulate the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Introduction: L-carnitine (LC) has been associated with inflammatory mediator reduction and with downregulating the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor, which is the target of SARS-CoV-2 attachment.

Methods: This pilot phase 2 randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial contained two cohorts. Cohort 1 comprised 101 individuals with negative RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test results who cohabitated with an individual diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Myocardial infarction or myocarditis? A case report and review of a myocardial adverse event associated with mRNA vaccine.

A 23-year-old man started with chest pain 8 h after his first Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination. ECG evaluation showed sinus tachycardia with ST-segment elevation in D1, AVL, V5, and V6, the findings compatible with acute subepicardial myocardial damage. However, cardiac MRI documented myocardial fibrosis, with cardiac late enhancement non-ischemic pattern with diffuse edema.

Incidence, aetiology and serotype coverage for pneumococcal vaccines of community-acquired pneumonia in adults: a population-based prospective active surveillance study in Brazil.

Objectives: To determine the incidence, aetiology and pneumococcal serotype distribution of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Brazilian adults during a 2-year period.

Design: Prospective population-based surveillance study.

Setting: Patients from two emergency hospitals in Brazil were consecutively included in this study.

Laryngotracheobronchial papillomatosis: chest CT findings.

To evaluate the findings on chest CTs in 16 patients (8 men and 8 women) with laryngotracheobronchial papillomatosis. This was a retrospective study involving patients ranging from 2 to 72 years of age. The evaluation of the CT scans was independently performed by two observers, and discordant results were resolved by consensus.

Niemann-Pick disease type B: HRCT assessment of pulmonary involvement.

Objective: To analyze HRCT findings in patients with Niemann-Pick disease (NPD) type B, in order to determine the frequency of HRCT patterns and their distribution in the lung parenchyma, as well as the most common clinical characteristics.

Methods: We studied 13 patients (3 males and 10 females) aged 5 to 56 years. HRCT images were independently evaluated by two observers, and disagreements were resolved by consensus.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: A state-of-the-art review.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a benign disease of the upper aero-digestive tract caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which affects children and young adults. The aim of this review is to describe the main etiological, epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and treatment aspects of RRP. Most infections in children occur at birth, during passage through the birth canals of contaminated mothers.

Pulmonary Involvement in Niemann-Pick Disease: A State-of-the-Art Review.

Niemann-Pick disease is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease with three subtypes. Types A and B result from a deficiency of acid sphingomyelinase activity, associated with the accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages (so-called Niemann-Pick cells) in various tissues, especially the liver and spleen. Type A is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder of infancy.

Chest magnetic resonance imaging: a protocol suggestion.

In the recent years, with the development of ultrafast sequences, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been established as a valuable diagnostic modality in body imaging. Because of improvements in speed and image quality, MRI is now ready for routine clinical use also in the study of pulmonary diseases. The main advantage of MRI of the lungs is its unique combination of morphological and functional assessment in a single imaging session.

Can chest high-resolution computed tomography findings diagnose pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis?

Objective: The present study was aimed at retrospectively reviewing high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in patients with pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis in order to evaluate the frequency of tomographic findings and their distribution in the lung parenchyma.

Materials And Methods: Thirteen patients (9 females and 4 males; age, 9 to 59 years; mean age, 34.5 years) were included in the present study.

Respiratory Tract Amyloidosis. State-of-the-Art Review with a Focus on Pulmonary Involvement.

Amyloidosis is a constellation of disease entities characterized by abnormal extracellular deposition and accumulation of protein and protein derivatives, which show apple-green birefringence when stained with Congo red and viewed under polarized light. Amyloid can infiltrate virtually all organ systems and can display multiple and diverse imaging findings. Pathologically, respiratory involvement occurs in 50 % of patients with amyloidosis, and its clinical signs and symptoms vary depending on whether the disease is systemic or localized.

Organizing pneumonia: chest HRCT findings.

Objective: To determine the frequency of HRCT findings and their distribution in the lung parenchyma of patients with organizing pneumonia.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of the HRCT scans of 36 adult patients (26 females and 10 males) with biopsy-proven organizing pneumonia. The patients were between 19 and 82 years of age (mean age, 56.

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: State-of-the-Art Review with a Focus on Pulmonary Involvement.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal-dominant neurocutaneous disease with high phenotypic variability. The incidence is approximately one in 5000-10,000 births. TSC is characterized by widespread hamartomas and benign or rarely malignant neoplasms affecting various organs, most commonly the brain, skin, retinas, kidneys, heart, and lungs.

Thoracic textilomas: CT findings.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze chest CT scans of patients with thoracic textiloma.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 16 patients (11 men and 5 women) with surgically confirmed thoracic textiloma. The chest CT scans of those patients were evaluated by two independent observers, and discordant results were resolved by consensus.

The impacts of cognitive-behavioral therapy on the treatment of phobic disorders measured by functional neuroimaging techniques: a systematic review.

Objective: Functional neuroimaging techniques represent fundamental tools in the context of translational research integrating neurobiology, psychopathology, neuropsychology, and therapeutics. In addition, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven its efficacy in the treatment of anxiety disorders and may be useful in phobias. The literature has shown that feelings and behaviors are mediated by specific brain circuits, and changes in patterns of interaction should be associated with cerebral alterations.

The inter-observer variation of chest radiograph reading in acute lower respiratory tract infection among children.

This study assessed the inter-observer agreement in the interpretation of several radiographic features in the chest radiographs (CXR) of 803 children aged 2-59 months with non-severe acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI). Inclusion criteria comprised: report of respiratory complaints, detection of lower respiratory findings, and presence of pulmonary infiltrate on the CXR taken on admission and read by the pediatrician on duty. Data on demographic and clinical findings on admission were collected from children included in a clinical trial on the use of amoxicillin (ClinicalTrials.

Clinical outcomes after investigation for pulmonary embolism using CT angiography and venography.

Background: The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) still requires long work-up periods and multiple tests.

Objective: We aim to assess clinical outcomes after a negative investigation using a combined protocol of CT pulmonary angiography and CT venography (CTA/CTV) as a sole diagnostic test in unselected patients with suspected PE.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled consecutive patients with suspected PE who were investigated with a combined CTA/CTV protocol.

Severity of childhood community-acquired pneumonia and chest radiographic findings.

To assess if chest radiographic findings present on admission are associated with severity of childhood community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), a total of 161 children hospitalized with pulmonary infiltrate were enrolled in the study; 48 (30%) patients were excluded because of presence of bilateral chest radiographic alterations (33; 20%) and presence of underlying diseases (15; 9%). According to WHO and BTS criteria, severe CAP was present in 57 (50%) and in 96 (85%) cases, respectively; 29 (26%) were aged less than 1 year. The median age (months) was 22 (mean 24 +/- 14, range 2-58).