: The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the characteristics of sarcoid nodules and neoplastic nodules using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in sarcoidosis patients. : This is a single-center retrospective study. From 2010 to 2023, among 685 patients affected by pulmonary sarcoidosis, 23 patients developed pulmonary nodules of a suspicious malignant nature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSurg Endosc
August 2024
Background: This study aims to compare three commonly used energy devices for dissection during Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) lobectomy: monopolar hook, advanced bipolar, and ultrasonic device, in terms of duration of the surgical procedure and clinical intra- and post-operative outcomes.
Materials And Methods: In this prospective single-center study, 75 patients undergoing VATS lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer between January 2022 and May 2023 were enrolled and divided into 3 groups based on the device used during the surgical procedure (Group 1: Ultrasonic Device, Group 2: Advanced Bipolar, Group 3: Monopolar Hook). The duration of the surgical procedure, daily pleural fluid production, post-operative pain, length of hospital stay, and occurrence of post-operative complications were compared for each group.
Background: Lung cancer and aortic disease share multiple risk factors. The co-presence of both diseases defines a peculiar type of patient who needs a specific protocol of treatment and follow-up. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of aortic disease in a population of patients with a diagnosis of primary lung cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Medical pleuroscopy (MP) is an invasive technique that provides access to the pleural space with a rigid or semi-rigid work instrument, allowing for visualization and the obtaining of bioptic pleural samples. Using pulmonologist-based analgosedation to perform pleuroscopy is still debated for safety reasons. The aim of this real-life study is to demonstrate the safety and diagnostic yield of MP performed under balanced analgosedation by a pulmonologist team with expertise in the management of critically ill patients in the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) and interventional pulmonology unit as compared to video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) performed by a thoracic surgeon team under anesthesiologist-based analgosedation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) is a minimally invasive treatment for emphysema. Lung cancer may be associated with emphysema due to common risk factors. Thus, a growing number of patients undergoing BLVR may develop lung cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Radical resection of isolated lung metastases (LM) from colorectal cancer (CRC) is debated. Like Fong's criteria in liver metastases, our study was meant to assign a clinical prognostic score in patients with LM from CRC, aiming for better surgery selection.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 260 CRC patients who underwent curative LM resection from December 2002 to January 2022, verifying the impact of different clinicopathological features on the overall survival (OS).
Background: Actinomycosis by is rare and scarcely reported in the literature. The lung is the main organ involved. Penicillin and amoxicillin are the first-choice treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLung transplant (LTX) patients are at high risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which is often associated with high mortality and morbidity. Reactivation of CMV causes cell injury due to the cytopathic effect of viral replication and triggering of T cell immunity. The aim of this study was to compare expression of immune checkpoints (ICs) (PD-1, CTLA-4, LAG-3 and TIGIT) in CD4, CD8 and CD56 and activation markers CD137, CD154 and CD69 of end-stage patients awaiting lung transplant.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is the most common form of CLAD and is characterized by airflow limitation and an obstructive spirometric pattern without high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) evidence of parenchymal opacities. Computed tomography and microCT analysis show abundant small airway obstruction, starting from the fifth generation of airway branching and affecting up to 40-70% of airways. The pathogenesis of BOS remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Persistent air leak and the management of intraoperative blood loss are common threats in thoracic surgical practice. The availability of new procedures, technology and materials is constantly evolving topical hemostats and surgical sealants must be added to this toolkit. Topical hemostats and surgical sealants differ according to their chemical nature and physical characteristics, to their origin and mechanism of action, regulatory/registration and vigilance paths.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
April 2023
Background: Pediatric lung transplantation is performed in highly experienced centers due to the peculiar population characteristics. The literature is limited and not representative of individual countries' differences. The purpose of this study was to analyze the Italian experience.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the major and most common opportunistic infection complicating lung transplant (LTX). The aim of this study was to analyse the epidemiological aspects of CMV infection in lung transplant patients subject to a pre-emptive anti-CMV approach and to study the impact of this infection on lung transplant outcome, in terms of onset of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD).
Methods: This single-centre retrospective study enrolled 87 LTX patients (median age 55.
Repeated exposure to antigens inhalation is the primary cause of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a form of interstitial pneumonia. The chronic form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis leads to progressive loss of respiratory function; lung transplantation is the only therapeutic option for chronically ill patients. The ESTS Lung Transplantation Working Group conducted a retrospective multicentred cohort study to increase the body of knowledge available on this rare indication for lung transplantation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to assess the impact of BMI on perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy or segmentectomy. Data from 5088 patients undergoing VATS lobectomy or segmentectomy, included in the VATS Group Italian Registry, were collected. BMI (kg/m) was categorized according to the WHO classes: underweight, normal, overweight, obese.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLung Cancer (LC) is the first cause of death worldwide. Recently increased interest in interstitial lung diseases (ILD) has highlighted an association with lung cancer, offering interesting insights into the pathogenesis of the latter. Describe the association between lung cancer and ILD and evaluate the impact of LC on survival in these populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Galectins are proteins that bind β-galactosides such as N-acetyllactosamine present in N-linked and O-linked glycoproteins and that seem to be implicated in inflammatory and immune responses as well as fibrotic mechanisms. This preliminary study investigated serum galectins as clinical biomarkers in lung transplant patients with chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), phenotype bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS).
Materials And Methods: Nineteen lung transplant patients [median age (IQR), 55 (45-62) years; 53% males] were enrolled in the study.
Background: The immune mechanisms occurring during acute rejection (AR) and chronic lung allograft dysfunction are a challenge for research and the balance between effector and regulatory cells has not been defined completely. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the interaction of effector cells, mainly Th17, Th1 and Th2, and regulatory cells including (CD4CD25CD127) T reg cells and phenotypes of B regs, CD19CD24CD38, CD19CD24CD27 and CD19CD5CD1d.
Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage cells (BAL) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from stable lung transplanted (LTx )subjects ( = 4), AR patients ( = 6) and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) ( = 6) were collected at the same time.
Background: Serum Amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase protein and we analyzed its concentrations in lung transplantated patients (LTX).
Methods: 26 LTX patients (58.6 ± 11 years) and 11 healthy controls (55 ± 11.
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg
November 2020
Objectives: The European Society of Thoracic Surgeons Lung Transplantation Working Group promoted a survey to evaluate overall survival in a large cohort of patients receiving lung transplants for rare pulmonary diseases.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicentre study. The primary end point was overall survival; secondary end points were survival of patients with the most common diagnoses in the context of rare pulmonary diseases and chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD)-free survival.
Background: The risk of COVID-19 is expected to be higher among solid organ transplant. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 and the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak on the personal hygiene and expectations in heart and lung transplant recipients.
Methods: A telephone survey of heart (n = 69) and lung (n = 41) transplant patients and a group of controls (n = 41) was conducted concerning personal hygiene before and after the outbreak; the impact on subjective expectations regarding graft outcome; symptoms possibly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection; and diagnosis of COVID-19.
Objective Familial pulmonary fibrosis (FPF) is defined as an idiopathic interstitial lung disease affecting two or more members of the same family; poor outcome with high risk of death and chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) after lung transplant has been reported in these patients. The present study aimed to compare the short- and long-term outcome of lung transplants in patients with FPF and patients transplanted because of other interstitial lung diseases. Method Clinical pre- and post-transplant data from 83 consecutive patients with pulmonary fibrosis who underwent lung transplant at our centre were collected retrospectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is a commonly known condition due to the accumulation of air in the pleural space in otherwise healthy people, without apparent underlying lung disease. To date, the exact pathogenesis of PSP is unclear, but it still represents a public health issue. We performed a review of the literature concerning the epidemiology of PSP, examining age of onset and presentation symptoms, in order to assess the possible correlation between these characteristics and its occurrence.
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