Publications by authors named "Marissa O'Callaghan"

Article Synopsis
  • Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung syndrome characterized by the accumulation of proteinaceous material, leading to symptoms like progressive dyspnea and hypoxemia, with various diagnostic methods such as CT scans, bronchoalveolar lavage, and genetic testing suggested for evaluation.
  • A European Respiratory Society Task Force, comprised of diverse experts, developed evidence-based guidelines for diagnosing and managing PAP using a systematic review of literature and the GRADE approach for assessing the strength of recommendations.
  • The Task Force provided specific management recommendations, including whole lung lavage, GM-CSF therapy, and potential treatments like rituximab, alongside diagnostic approaches involving GM-CSF antibody
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) can occur without a known cause (idiopathic) or due to specific factors like genetic susceptibility, inflammation, or other diseases, and there's ongoing debate about the role of inflammation in its development.
  • Recent research suggests that abnormal lipid metabolism may also contribute to PF, affecting lung structure and function through changes in cell membranes and surfactants.
  • Clinically, there’s observable increased lipid presence in lung tissue, and certain cholesterol-lowering medications may offer protective effects against the progression of PF, indicating a potential link between lipid metabolism and the disease's pathology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This case describes a woman in her 20s with a 6-month history of progressive exertional dyspnoea and cough. Examination revealed hypoxia on room air, sinus tachycardia, finger clubbing and bibasal inspiratory crackles. Inflammatory markers were mildly elevated and empirical antimicrobial therapy was commenced.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This case describes a woman in her 50s who presented with recurrent lower respiratory tract infections. She was an ex-smoker and had worked on a livestock farm for many years. Chest radiograph and CT of the chest revealed multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objective: There is increasing interest in the role of lipids in processes that modulate lung fibrosis with evidence of lipid deposition in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) histological specimens. The aim of this study was to identify measurable markers of pulmonary lipid that may have utility as IPF biomarkers.

Study Design And Methods: IPF and control lung biopsy specimens were analysed using a unbiased lipidomic approach.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The term "pulmonary renal syndrome" describes a clinical syndrome which is characterised by the presence of both diffuse alveolar haemorrhage and glomerulonephritis. It encompasses a group of diseases with distinctive clinical and radiological manifestations, as well as different pathophysiological processes. The most common diseases implicated are anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA)-positive small vessel vasculitis and anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A 45-year-old man sought treatment at the ED during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with a month-long history of fatigue, cough, myalgia, and hand stiffness. He did not report dyspnea. He had no past medical history and previously was fit and active, working as a farmer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Exosomes, a class of extra cellular nano-sized vesicles (EVs), and their contents have gained attention as potential sources of information on tumor detection and regulatory drivers of tumor progression and metastasis. The effect of exosomes isolated from patients with an Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor ()-mutated adenocarcinoma on the promotion of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasion were examined. Exosomes derived from serum of patients with -mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) mediate the activation of the Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/ mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and induce an invasion through the up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in A549 cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Since commercial development in 2003, the usage of modern electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) continues to increase amongst people who have never smoked, ex-smokers who have switched to e-cigarettes, and dual-users of both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. With such an increase in use, knowledge of the irritative, toxic and potential carcinogenic effects on the lungs is increasing. This review article will discuss the background of e-cigarettes, vaping devices and explore their popularity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare and under-recognised complication of acute pulmonary embolism. Information regarding the characteristics of CTEPH in Ireland is limited, and the aim of this retrospective cohort study was to address this knowledge gap. Seventy-two cases of CTEPH were diagnosed in the National Pulmonary Hypertension Unit (NPHU) in Ireland between 2010 and 2020.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose Of Review: Unclassifiable interstitial lung disease (ILD) comprises a subset of ILDs which cannot be classified according to the current diagnostic framework. This is a likely a heterogeneous group of diseases rather than a single entity and it is poorly defined and hence problematic for prognosis and therapy.

Recent Findings: With increased treatment options for progressive fibrosing ILD it is increasingly relevant to correctly categorise ILD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A 34-year-old man presented to a community hospital with sudden-onset pleuritic chest pain on a background of a 12-month indolent history of progressive exertional dyspnea. He denied cough, fevers, night sweats, or weight loss. He reported some low back pain and ache.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Our case series describes two siblings with complex fibrosing lung diseases. The first patient was initially given a diagnosis of sarcoidosis based on imaging and exclusion of alternative diagnoses. A number of years after diagnosis, he had rapid deterioration of his disease and following surgical lung biopsy, his lung fibrosis was re-classified as chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (cHP) with a usual interstitial pneumonia pattern.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

• BPVT occurred while on a DOAC for treatment of AF. • Echocardiographic and pathologic images of BPVT are shown. • The definition of NVAF is not uniform in clinical trials or guidelines.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF