Lung Disease in Sjögren's Syndrome: Insights From a Reference Center's Population.

Background Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands. Although primarily affecting these glands, the syndrome can also involve several organs. Interstitial lung disease is one of the most severe complications associated with SS.

10-year success story in CTEPH treatment: breaking the myth of rareness.

Unlike acute pulmonary embolism (PE), the resolution of thrombi is ineffective in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), leading to reorganisation and fibrotic changes within the pulmonary arteries. The authors report the case of a man in his 60s with polycythemia vera, under warfarin, following an acute PE. He was admitted a year later with right heart failure and haemodynamic instability.

Transitioning intravenous epoprostenol to oral selexipag in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: a case report.

Intravenous (i.v.) prostacyclin is the cornerstone treatment in high-risk pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients.

Point of Care Ultrasound-Diagnostic Approach of an Atypical Negative Pressure Pulmonary Oedema.

A 42 years old patient who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy developed negative pressure pulmonary oedema (NPPO) with an atypical presentation. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) played a decisive role in the diagnostic approach. POCUS, as a goal-orientated tool, can provide key elements for a prompt diagnosis of respiratory and airway complications in the surgical patient.

Physical activity and its clinical correlates in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Limited data are available on physical activity (PhA) levels in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) patients, as well as on the clinical utility of PhA measurements using questionnaires and accelerometers. We aimed to study PhA levels of CTEPH patients and their clinical correlates, and to compare PhA levels measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) with measures from accelerometers. This is a cross-sectional study ( = 50).

External validation of different clinical and echocardiographic scores to distinguish post- from precapillary pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Even though right heart catheterization (RHC) is the gold-standard method to characterise Pulmonary Hypertension (PH), it cannot be performed in all the patients with suspected PH. Clinical and echocardiographic scores have been developed to differentiate PH secondary to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF) from pre-capillary PH. We aimed to compare the performance of non-invasive parameters in a population with suspected PH.

Disability and its clinical correlates in pulmonary hypertension measured through the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0: a prospective, observational study.

Objective: To characterise the degree of disability in pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients based on the World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0).

Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block May Be an Efficient Treatment of Headache After Lumboperitoneal Shunt Placement: A Case Report.

A 20-year-old man submitted to surgical insertion of a lumboperitoneal drain as a treatment for intracranial hypertension, secondary to venous sinus thrombosis, developed severe headache accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and diplopia 24 hours postoperative. Cerebral spinal fluid low-pressure headache was diagnosed. A transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion block with ropivacaine was performed without complications.

Association of severe and therapy-refractory systemic lupus erythematosus and neuromyelitis optica: a management challenge.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystemic autoimmune disorder. Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an infrequent neuroinflammatory disorder, whose association with SLE remains rare. The authors report the case of an 18-year-old woman, with SLE refractory to multiple immunosuppressive therapies and novel biological agents.

Age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index Does Not Predict Outcomes in Patients Submitted to Noninvasive Ventilation.

Introduction: Comorbidities are thought to have prognostic impact on outcomes of patients submitted to noninvasive ventilation (NIV). Our goal was to determine if age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) could predict outcomes in patients undergoing NIV due to acute respiratory failure.

Methods: Patients in respiratory failure submitted to NIV were prospective evaluated comparing patient's characteristics and outcomes according to ACCI≤median vs.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Pulmonary Hypertension and Its Clinical Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) impairment is common in pulmonary hypertension (PH), but its clinical predictors are not well established. This study aims to characterize the HRQoL of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and other precapillary forms of PH (pcPH) and to explore its clinical correlates.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study of patients with documented PAH and other forms of pcPH.

Tuberculous osteomyelitis of the wrist presenting as a monoarthritis syndrome.

Osteoarticular tuberculosis is the third most frequent location of tuberculosis after the lung and lymph nodes, accounting for approximately 10%-20% of all cases of extrapulmonary disease. Tuberculosis of the hand and wrist is the rarest osteoarticular location after the shoulder. The authors report the case of a 50-year-old woman without medical history who was diagnosed with isolated tuberculosis of the wrist presenting as monarthritis.

[Ropivacaine use in transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion block for post dural puncture headache in obstetric patients - case series].

Purpose: Sphenopalatine ganglion block is widely accepted in chronic pain; however it has been underestimated in post dural puncture headache treatment. The ganglion block does not restore normal cerebrospinal fluid dynamics but effectively reduces symptoms associated with resultant hypotension. When correctly applied it may avoid performance of epidural blood patch.

Continuous subcutaneous levetiracetam in end-of-life care.

Seizures constitute a determining aspect in quality of life and are frequently challenging in palliative care-a field where treatment has yet to be standardised. Levetiracetam-a new generation anticonvulsant-has proved efficacy both through oral, as well as intravenous administration in the general population. This case reports on the use of continuous subcutaneous levetiracetam to effectively control seizures in a terminally ill patient without patent oral route.

Acute hepatitis B virus infection and severe non-immune haemolytic anaemia: a rare relationship.

The clinical presentation of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is usually related to the onset of liver failure and damage. Anaemia may occur, but it is only rarely attributed to haemolysis. The authors report about the case of a 41-year-old woman with the diagnosis of acute HBV infection and coagulopathy (without encephalopathy) who developed non-immune haemolytic anaemia.

[Anesthetic management of late pressure angioedema].

Background And Objectives: Late pressure angioedema is a rare form of angioedema in which light pressure stimulus can lead to edema after 1-12h. This uncommon and unreported entity is especially important in patients who undergo general anesthesia, for whom the usual harmless supine position, intravenous catheter insertion, standard monitoring, airway management and ventilation can lead to life threatening consequences as the trigger is a physical stimulus.

Case Report: In this report, we describe a successful perioperative anesthetic management of a 30 year old patient, proposed for intra-ocular lens insertion, with a severe form of the disease with peri-oral, tongue and limb edema presentation.