The Characteristics of Severe Chronic Upper-Airway Disease (SCUAD) in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis: A Real-Life Multicenter Cross-Sectional Italian Study.

Background: There are few studies regarding severe chronic upper-airway disease (SCUAD) that represents an important socioeconomic problem for the treatment of rhinitis and associated comorbidities, particularly asthma.

Objectives: The aim of our study is to evaluate the prevalence of this pathology in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) in real life, to phenotype allergic patients with SCUAD, and to identify which factors are related to the severity of the disease.

Methods: We studied 113 patients with uncontrolled AR despite optimal adherence to therapy according to the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines in a multicenter Italian study, analyzing comorbidity, use of additional drugs, not scheduled visits, and the number of emergency room admissions.

Whole lung lavage therapy for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: a global survey of current practices and procedures.

Background: Whole lung lavage (WLL) is the current standard of care treatment for patients affected by pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP). However, WLL is not standardized and international consensus documents are lacking. Our aim was to obtain a factual portrayal of WLL as currently practiced with respect to the procedure, indications for its use, evaluation of therapeutic benefit and complication rate.