Diagnostic Yield and Complications of Ultrasound-Guided Trans-Thoracic Biopsies by Pulmonologists: A Single-Center Retrospective Study of Lesions with Pleural Contact.

Introduction: Ultrasound-guided trans-thoracic needle biopsy (US-TTNB) is a method of choice for the diagnostic management of peripheral lung lesions and pleural masses for pulmonologists. If complication risk factors and diagnostic yield have been well reported for CT-guided biopsies, publications for US-TTNB in this field are very scarce.

Methods: The primary objective of this study was to describe the diagnostic yield of US-TTNB carried out by pulmonologists defined by a definitive histopathological diagnosis.

Visceral Leishmaniasis Masquerading as Drug-Induced Pancytopenia in Lung Cancer Patients.

Maintenance chemotherapy is a standard treatment in patients with non-progressive advance staged IV non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer after induction therapy. Here, we report the case of a 53-year-old man undergoing a maintenance monotherapy with pemetrexed who presented prolonged pancytopenia despite filgrastim injections. A bone marrow aspiration revealed a macrophage activation syndrome with amastigotes.

Bifurcated Silicone Stents for the Management of Anastomotic Complications in Lung Transplanted Patients: Ten Years' Experience.

Background: In lung transplantation (LT), the actual surgical practice is to cut the donor bronchus as short as possible in order to reduce anastomotic complications (AC). Consequently, the anastomosis is very close to the secondary carina. If AC occur, regular straight stents may be unsatisfactory and on-site modified bifurcated stents may represent an alternative.

Saline lavage for the management of severe pleural empyema: A cohort study.

Background: Despite advances in the treatment of pleural infection, up to 20% of patients die. So far, studies assessing the role of intrapleural saline lavage for the management of all stage pleural infections are very scarce, usually excluding patients with cancer.

Methods: The method used was a retrospective cohort study including pleural empyema managed with a pleural lavage of saline solution through a small-bore chest tube.

Does the LENT score risk-stratify patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma? An observational study.

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare, highly aggressive and deadly disease with a poor patient life expectancy. A few years ago, the main challenge was the histological diagnosis of this disease; at present, the search for the best therapeutic strategy is now a priority. However, an optimal therapeutic strategy is not yet clear, despite growing efforts in the treatment armamentarium and research, and at the era of tailored and individualized treatment, tools to predict patient survival are needed for therapeutic decision-making.

Prolonged survival after multimodal therapy for pleural mesothelioma: Don't give up the follow-up. A case report.

Malignant Pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare disease which is associated with a poor prognosis. Front line chemotherapy represents the cornerstone in the management of MPM, and the place of radical surgery is controversial and reserve in early-stage disease. However prolonged survival (more than 24 months) can be observed in rare cases and only in the context of multimodal treatment including surgical management.

A new hybrid immunocapture bioassay with improved reproducibility to measure tissue factor-dependent procoagulant activity of microvesicles from body fluids.

Background: The procoagulant activity of tissue factor-bearing microvesicles (MV-TF) has been associated with the risk of developing venous thrombosis in cancer patients. However, MV-TF assays are limited either by i) a lack of specificity, ii) a low sensitivity, or iii) a lack of repeatability when high-speed centrifugation (HS-C) is used to isolate MV. Therefore, our objective was to develop a new hybrid "capture-bioassay" with improved reproducibility combining MV immunocapture from biofluids and measurement of their TF activity.

A novel pleural-bladder pump for the management of recurrent malignant pleural effusions: a feasibility animal study.

Background: Recurrent malignant pleural effusions (MPE) are common and associated with significant morbidity in cancer patients. A new pump connecting the pleural cavity and the bladder may have application for the management of recurrent MPE. In a pre-clinical study, we investigated the utility of this pump in healthy pigs.

Cerebral Air Embolism After Pleural Lavage for Empyema.

Percutaneous pleural maneuvers are performed routinely in the management of pleural diseases with a favorable safety profile. We report a case of cerebral air embolism during a pleural lavage for the management of an empyema. This severe complication is rarely reported in the literature, although it can happen after any percutaneous thoracic procedures.

Impact of Silicone Stent Placement in Symptomatic Airway Obstruction due to Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - A French Multicenter Randomized Controlled Study: The SPOC Trial.

Background: Therapeutic bronchoscopy (TB) is an accepted strategy for the symptomatic management of central airway malignant obstruction. Stent insertion is recommended in case of extrinsic compression, but its value in preventing airway re-obstruction after endobronchial treatment without extrinsic compression is unknown.

Objective: Silicone stent Placement in symptomatic airway Obstruction due to non-small cell lung Cancer (SPOC) is the first randomized controlled trial investigating the potential benefit of silicone stent insertion after successful TB in symptomatic malignant airway obstruction without extrinsic compression.

Novel pleural-bladder pump in malignant pleural effusions: from animal model to man.

Malignant pleural effusion is common and causes disabling symptoms such as breathlessness. Treatments are palliative and centred around improving symptoms and quality of life but an optimal management strategy is yet to be universally agreed. A novel pump system, allowing fluid to be moved from the pleural space to the urinary bladder, may have a role for the management of recurrent malignant pleural effusion.

Lateral decubitus chest radiography or chest ultrasound to predict pleural adhesions before medical thoracoscopy: a prospective study.

Background: Medical thoracoscopy (MT) is the gold-standard to investigate unexplained pleural exudates. However, the major prerequisite is an easy pleural access obtained by creating an artificial pneumothorax at the beginning of the procedure which can be a challenge in case of pleural adhesions and make the procedure unsafe. The detection of pleural adhesions prior to MT is necessary.

Diagnostic Value of Computed Tomography Imaging Features in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Background: Medical history, thoracentesis, and imaging features are usually the first steps in the investigation of a possible malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Unfortunately, the diagnostic yield of thoracentesis in this situation is suboptimal even if the procedure is repeated, especially in the context of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The next step for confirming the diagnosis, if clinically appropriate, is thoracoscopy, but not all patients are fit to undergo this procedure, so the diagnosis is then based on the medical history and imaging features only.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma mimicking a malignant pleural mesothelioma: Clues for diagnosis.

Pleural metastasis of thyroid carcinoma is very rarely encountered in the evaluation of pleural effusion and diagnosis may be challenging. However, an anaplastic transformation of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), although a rare condition, should be considered even after a prolonged period of patient follow-up. Here we report a case of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma mimicking malignant pleural mesothelioma diagnosed nine years after the initial diagnosis of PTC and detail the clues used to orient and confirm the diagnosis.

[Management of a tracheal adenoid cystic medico-surgical carcinoma].

Adenoid cystic carcinoma or cylindroma is a rare tumor of the trachea which arises from mucous secreting cells. Its evolution and growth are slow but it is often fatal in the absence of radical treatment. The latter relies on a surgical sleeve resection of the pathological area, with a tracheo-tracheal anastomosis.

[Trans-vocal cord prostheses - preliminary experience treating benign laryngotracheal stenosis in adults].

Introduction: Benign laryngotracheal stenosis is a rare pathology with multiple etiologies, the management of which is complex. This is because of the configuration and proximity of the larynx and the difficulty with surgical approaches, which are potentially mutilating, especially for the management of a benign disease. When surgery is challenging, iterative dilatations of the stricture or the fashioning of a definitive tracheotomy are therapeutic alternatives.

Recent developments in pleurodesis for malignant pleural disease.

Objective: Metastatic pleural effusion (MPE) is one of the most frequent causes of pleural effusion. The aims of the therapeutic management are palliation of symptoms and improvement in patient's quality of life. The first step is a therapeutic thoracentesis.

Chest ultrasonography to assess the kinetics and efficacy of talc pleurodesis in a model of pneumothorax: an experimental animal study.

Talc pleurodesis is used to avoid recurrences in malignant pleural effusions or pneumothorax. The lack of lung sliding detected by chest ultrasonography (CUS) after talc application is indicative of the effectiveness of pleurodesis. The objective of our study was to explore, in an animal model, the capacity of CUS to predict the quality of a symphysis induced by talc poudrage (TP) and talc slurry (TS).

Diagnostic Accuracy of Lateral Decubitus Chest Radiography before Pleural Maneuvers for the Management of Pleurisies in the Era of Chest Ultrasound.

Background: Chest ultrasound (CUS) is the gold standard to detect pleural adhesions before pleural maneuvers. However, the CUS technique is not available in all countries where the assessment is only based on clinical examination and chest radiography.

Objective: To assess the value of lateral decubitus chest radiography (LDCR) to detect pleural adhesions.

Experience with Transcordal Silicone Stents in Adult Laryngotracheal Stenosis: A Bicentric Retrospective Study.

Background: Benign stenosis involving laryngeal and upper tracheal structures represents a therapeutic challenge. Open surgery and endoscopic management have to be discussed by a multidisciplinary board in order to evaluate the risk and benefit for each patient.

Objective: The objective of this retrospective study was to report the experience of two French centers with transcordal silicone stents (TSS) in the endoscopic management of benign laryngotracheal stenosis (BLTS) in adults, with focus on efficacy, safety, and tolerability.

[Blue rubber bleb naevus syndrome involving the pleura].

Bean's syndrome ('blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome') is a rare disease characterized by venous malformations involving various organs. Most often these lesions are localized to the skin and the digestive system. Gastro-intestinal bleeding is the most frequent presentation.