Pulmonary Aluminosis Diagnosed with In-air Microparticle Induced X-ray Emission Analysis of Particles.

We herein present a case of pulmonary aluminosis diagnosed with in-air microparticle induced X-ray emission (in-air micro-PIXE) analysis. The diagnosis of pulmonary aluminosis was supported by the occupational exposure to aluminum, ground glass opacity and ill-defined centrilobular nodular opacities seen in high resolution CT, and respiratory bronchioles accompanied by pigmented dust by histological examination by in-air micro-PIXE analysis of the lung tissues. The possibility of developing this rare condition should not be underestimated in workers at high-risk jobs.

Rheumatoid pleural effusion presenting as pseudochylothorax in a patient without previous diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid pleurisy rarely occurs before a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is the second leading cause of pseudochylothorax, but there are few reports of RA-associated pseudochylothorax.

Case: A 50-year-old man presented to our hospital with an undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion.

Clinical characteristics of healthcare-associated pneumonia in a public hospital in a metropolitan area of Japan.

Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) is a new category that is essential in the present aging society. Knowing the different characteristics and outcomes between patients with HCAP and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) would help physicians manage and treat HCAP patients. Although HCAP is thought to be heterogeneous in regions, there are no reports from a metropolitan area in Japan.

[Pulmonary non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis (Mycobacterium intracellulare) with cavities developing in a non-small cell lung cancer patient during chemotherapy].

A 70-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for examination of an abnormal shadow found on a chest radiograph. Chest CT showed a nodular shadow in the left upper lobe S1+2. We diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) clinical stage T4N2M1.

[Detection of pleural plaques on chest X-ray film by chest physicians].

With increasing awareness about health damage due to asbestos exposure, the number of people presenting with non-occupational exposure has increased remarkably. Consequently, chest physicians in general hospitals must read the chest X-ray films of patients with asbestos exposure. Can non-specialized chest physicians, who may have little experience of occupational medicine, diagnose pleural plaques accurately? The study subjects were 44 consecutive patients who were admitted to our hospital, under the Japanese medical health check system for workers employed in dangerous work.