Introducing transbronchial cryobiopsies in diagnosing diffuse parenchymal lung diseases in Greece: Implementing training into clinical practice.

Introduction: Diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLD) constitute a heterogeneous group of disorders, sometimes requiring surgical lung biopsies (SLB) to obtain a definite diagnosis. Transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) is a new promising interventional bronchoscopic method of obtaining lung tissue that is gaining ground against SLB.

Methods: Fifty consecutive patients with indeterminate DPLD (definite/possible UIP excluded), after expert panel review referral, were retrospectively analyzed from January 2016 to August 2018.

Mediastinal widening and miliary chest radiograph pattern in a middle aged man: could it be sarcoidosis?

A diagnosis of sarcoidosis is based on suggestive radiographic pattern, presence of non-caseating granulomas and negative fungal and acid-fast bacilli (AFB) cultures. Sarcoidosis usually presents with hilar and/or mediastinal lymphadenopathy and distinct parenchymal radiographic patterns, such as fine nodular, reticulonodular or acinar opacities and rarely focal nodules or masses. A diffuse miliary pattern occurs in less than 1% of cases and can be identical to patterns seen in tuberculosis, fungal infections, histiocytosis and miliary metastases.

Necrosis and apoptotic index as prognostic factors in non-small cell lung carcinoma: a review.

Necrosis and apoptosis represent two pathogenetically distinct types of cell death. Necrosis is associated with pathologic conditions while apoptosis is a physiological process of programmed cell death, which is associated with normal tissue growth and is frequently impaired in various forms of cancer. Tumor necrosis and apoptotic index (AI) have been previously evaluated as prognostic biomarkers in lung cancer, but their exact clinical value remains unclear.

Primary pleural epithelioid mesothelioma of clear cell type: a case report and review of current literature.

Primary pleural epithelioid mesothelioma with clear cell morphology is a particularly rare neoplasm, with only a few documented cases. Here, the authors report a case of a 76-year-old man, with a history of asbestos exposure, admitted for mild dyspnea. Radiologic examination revealed right pleural effusion and pleural thickening.