Bronchoscopically-visible massive central airway cancer cavitation is associated with metastatic disease, lack of actionable mutations and poor prognosis: a case series.

Cavitating lung tumors occur in approximately 10-15% of the patients, are more commonly associated with squamous histology, and are typically located in the lung parenchyma. Herein we describe an exceedingly rare series of 5 patients, 4 of whom treatment-naïve, whose tumor caused the disruption of the normal airway anatomy at the level of lobar or segmental bronchi, leading to the formation of an endoscopically-visible cavity which ended up in the lung parenchyma or even into the pleural space. Sex (3 males, 2 females), smoking habit (2 never smokers, 2 former smokers, 1 current smoker), and histology (3 adenocarcinoma, 2 squamous cell carcinoma) were heterogeneous, but the 4 patients treatment-naïve presented with metastatic disease, poor ECOG performance status, similar clinical complaints of long duration, and lack of actionable mutations.

Thirty-Day Complications, Unplanned Hospital Encounters, and Mortality after Endosonography and/or Guided Bronchoscopy: A Prospective Study.

Background And Objective: Limited data exist regarding the adverse events of advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy, with most of the available information derived from retrospective datasets that primarily focus on early complications.

Methods: We conducted a 15-month prospective cohort study among consecutive patients undergoing endosonography and/or guided bronchoscopy under general anesthesia. We evaluated the 30-day incidence of severe complications, any complication, unplanned hospital encounters, and deaths.

Lung cancer multi-omics digital human avatars for integrating precision medicine into clinical practice: the LANTERN study.

Background: The current management of lung cancer patients has reached a high level of complexity. Indeed, besides the traditional clinical variables (e.g.

Reducing Post-Operative Alveolo-Pleural Fistula by Applying PGA-Sheets (Neoveil) after Major Lung Resection: A Historical Case-Control Study.

Alveolo-pleural fistula remains a serious post-operative complication in lung cancer patients after surgery, which is associated with prolonged hospital stay and higher healthcare costs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a polyglycol acid (PGA)-sheet known as Neoveil in preventing post-operative air-leak in cases of detected intra-operative air-leak after lung resection. Between 11/2021 and 7/2022, a total of 329 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were surgically treated in two institutions.

Rate and Predictors of Unforeseen PN1/PN2-Disease in Surgically Treated cN0 NSCLC-Patients with Primary Tumor > 3 cm: Nationwide Results from Italian VATS-Group Database.

Since no robust data are available on the real rate of unforeseen N1-N2 disease (uN) and the relative predictive factors in clinical-N0 NSCLC with peripheral tumours > 3 cm, the usefulness of performing a (mini)invasive mediastinal staging in this setting is debated. Herein, we investigated these issues in a nationwide database. From 01/2014 to 06/2020, 15,784 thoracoscopic major lung resections were prospectively recorded in the "Italian VATS-Group" database.

Accuracy and Reproducibility of Endoscopic Ultrasound B-Mode Features for Observer-Based Lymph Nodal Malignancy Prediction.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound routinely guides lymph node evaluation for the staging of a known or suspected lung cancer. Characteristics seen on B-mode imaging might help the observer decide on the lymph nodes of risk. The influence of nodal size on the predictivity of these characteristics and the agreement with which operators can combine these for malignancy risk prediction is to be determined.

Pattern of cancer patient referral and organisational model of an interventional pulmonology programme during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://bit.ly/2PRWNXo.

Predictive Value of Endobronchial Ultrasound Strain Elastography in Mediastinal Lymph Node Staging: The E-Predict Multicenter Study Results.

Background: Systematic assessment of lymph node status by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is indicated in (suspected) lung cancer. Sampling is herein guided by nodal size and FDG-PET characteristics. Ultrasound strain elastography (SE) might further improve risk stratification.

Endobronchial Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Centrally Located Lung Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Obtaining a tissue diagnosis of centrally located lung tumors in patients presenting without endobronchial abnormalities is challenging, and therefore a considerable diagnostic problem.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of linear endobronchial ultrasound guided-transbronchial-needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for the diagnosis of centrally located lung tumors.

Methods: We performed a systematic review (PROSPERO, CRD42017080968) and searched MEDLINE, Embase, BIOSIS Previews, and Web of Science till November 18, 2018 for studies that evaluated the yield and/or sensitivity of EBUS-TBNA for diagnosing centrally located lung tumors.

Diagnostic and therapeutic appropriateness in bone and joint infections: results of a national survey.

The impact of infectious diseases (ID) specialist consultation in the management of many types of bacterial infections has been fully demonstrated but not for bone and joint infections (BJIs). Nineteen ID Italian centres collected of data from June 2009 to May 2012. Italian guidelines (2009) were used to determine the appropriateness of the diagnostic and therapeutic process of BJIs before and after consulting an ID specialist.

Genotypic testing on HIV-1 DNA as a tool to assess HIV-1 co-receptor usage in clinical practice: results from the DIVA study group.

Purpose: We have developed a sequencing assay for determining the usage of the genotypic HIV-1 co-receptor using peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA in virologically suppressed HIV-1 infected patients. Our specific aims were to (1) evaluate the efficiency of V3 sequences in B versus non-B subtypes, (2) compare the efficiency of V3 sequences and tropism prediction using whole blood and PBMCs for DNA extraction, (3) compare the efficiency of V3 sequences and tropism prediction using a single versus a triplicate round of amplification.

Results: The overall rate of successful V3 sequences ranged from 100 % in samples with >3,000 copies HIV-1 DNA/10(6) PBMCs to 60 % in samples with <100 copies total HIV-1 DNA /10(6) PBMCs.

Use of patch testing for the diagnosis of abacavir-related hypersensitivity reaction in HIV patients.

Background: The use of antiretroviral drug abacavir (ABC) has been often associated with cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions, the majority being severe.

Objective: The present study discusses the issues of patch testing associated with pharmacogenetic screening in light of the development of abacavir hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs).

Methods: The present authors classified 100 patients into three groups: 20 patients (group A) had experienced a hypersensitivity reaction when treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) including ABC; 60 HIV-positive patients (group B) were receiving HAART scheme including ABC; 20 HIV-negative patients acted as control group (group C).

Performance of genotypic tropism testing on proviral DNA in clinical practice: results from the DIVA study group.

Objective: The DIVA study is aimed at setting up a standardized genotypic tropism-testing on proviral-DNA for the routine clinical diagnostic-laboratory.

Methods: Twelve local centres and 5 reference centres (previously cross-validated) were identified. For inter-center validation-procedure, 60 peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) aliquots from 45 HAART-treated patients were randomly chosen for population V3 sequencing on proviral-DNA at local HIV centre and at reference-laboratory.

Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections: review of the epidemiology, microbiology, aetiopathogenesis and treatment: a collaboration between dermatologists and infectivologists.

Bacterial skin and soft tissues infections (SSTI) often determine acute disease and frequent emergency recovering, and they are one of the most common causes of infection among groups of different ages. Given the variable presentation of SSTI, a thorough assessment of their incidence and prevalence is difficult. The presence of patient-related (local or systemic) or environmental risk factors, along with the emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogens, can promote SSTI.

Interpretation of genotypic resistance to predict darunavir/ritonavir failure in antiretroviral experienced patients.

From the Italian Antiretroviral Resistance Cohort Analysis database, 1104 patients starting ritonavir-boosted darunavir-containing regimen were included as follows: 118 subsequently failed treatment at a median of 11 months (interquartile range: 5-20); 3 years failure proportion: 24.6%. HIV Drug Resistance Database and ANRS interpretation algorithms were associated with a progressive risk prediction of virological failure at adjusted Cox.

Diagnosis and management of skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI): a literature review and consensus statement on behalf of the Italian Society of Infectious Diseases and International Society of Chemotherapy.

Skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections, posing considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality among patients as well as increased healthcare costs. eight members of the SSTI working group of the Italian Society of infectious Diseases prepared a draft of the statements, grading the quality of each piece of evidence after a careful review of the current literature using MEDLINE database and their own clinical experience. Statements were graded for their strength and quality using a system based on the one adopted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

Syphilis with HIV in Florence, 2003-2009: a 7-year epidemiological study.

The aims of this study were to describe the trend of acquired syphilis in the city of Florence and its province over a 7-year period, to investigate sexual behaviours in the syphilis-infected population and to analyse syphilis/HIV co-infection. A total of 259 patients were classified according to age, sex and HIV infection. We estimated that from 2004 to 2008 cases increased by 248%.

A unique HAV strain circulated in patients with acute HAV infection with different risk exposures in Tuscany, Italy.

Background: Acute Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is reported to be an emergent problem in several developed countries.

Objectives And Study Design: The aim of this study was to analyse the HAV strains circulating among individuals with acute HAV infection, apparently transmitted by different routes, in several districts of Tuscany in central Italy, during the year 2008.

Results: An outbreak of acute HAV infection occurred from May to August 2008 in Arezzo; 32 individuals were admitted to the hospital, in 25 of them at least a linkage with an infected food handler and/or household contacts was reported and in 3 homosexuality was a possible risk factor.

Performance of genotypic tropism testing in clinical practice using the enhanced sensitivity version of Trofile as reference assay: results from the OSCAR Study Group.

Objective: The goal of the OSCAR programme is to evaluate the performances of genotypic HIV-1 tropism testing in clinical practice using the enhanced sensitivity version of Trofile (ESTA) as reference-assay.

Methods: HIV-1 coreceptor-usage was assessed using plasma samples from 406 HIV-1 infected patients by ESTA and by gp120 V3 population-sequencing followed by Geno2pheno (set at a False Positive Rate [FPR] of 10% and 5%).

Results: ESTA was successful in 365 (89.

Case report: cystic fibrosis, lung transplantation, and the novel H1N1 flu.

The H1N1 pandemic flu is a significant risk factor for both patients with chronic disease who need organ transplantation and transplant recipients. This population needs special care regarding comorbidities and related complications. MB, a 38-year-old Italian cystic fibrosis male patient with lung and pancreatic involvement, was referred to our division in July 2009 for fever-associated arthromyalgia, headache, and rhinitis.