A case of granulomatosis with polyangiitis mimicking lung malignancy.

Patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) may present with varied manifestations including pulmonary masses and nodules. We report the case of a 45-year-old man presenting with cough, haemoptysis and weight loss in the context of a 20 pack-year past smoking history. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest and positron emission tomography/CT scan demonstrated two right upper lobe masses, bilateral lung nodules and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, with increased fluorodeoxyglucose avidity.

Management of recurrent haemoptysis in malignancy with combined TISSEEL and intrabronchial valves.

Management of recurrent haemoptysis poses a difficult clinical scenario. TISSEEL (Baxter Healthcare Corporation Deerfield, IL, USA) is a fibrin sealant often used in surgery to aid control of bleeding. However, when endoscopic TISSEEL is used independently, migration, dislodgement, or even expectoration of the fibrin clot is a common complication that may lead to recurrence of haemoptysis.

Effect of host and viral factors on hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients receiving pegylated interferon-α-2a therapy.

Background: Pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)-α-2a improves the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion rate in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients. However, baseline factors predicting favourable responses to PEG-IFN-α-2a remain largely unknown.

Methods: A total of 115 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients who had a pre-therapy serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level over two times the upper limit of normal and received PEG-IFN-α-2a for 6-12 months were consecutively enrolled according to the local reimbursed guidelines.

Serum interleukin 6 level correlates with outcomes of acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B.

Purpose: Acute exacerbation (AE) of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common and negatively impacts the clinical outcome. Factors predicting outcomes after exacerbations were only partly clarified. We investigated the host immune parameters associated with long-term outcomes.