Pseudomesotheliomatous Primary Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma: The First Case Reported in Turkey and a Review of the Literature.

In rare cases, pseudomesotheliomatous tumors spread diffusely within the pleura to form an encasing mass, which may be confused with diffuse malignant mesothelioma (DMM). A 73-year-old male presented with chest pain, dyspnea and a significant loss of weight and appetite. His radiological and clinical features suggested DMM.

Four cases of pulmonary thromboembolism diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound.

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a technique for the detection of mediastinal abnormalities. A total of 548 EBUS procedures were performed for various indications, and in four cases (0.7%), filling defects in central pulmonary arteries were demonstrated fortuitously during the procedure.

Multiple endobronchial hamartoma.

Background And Aims: Pulmonary hamartomas appear as parenchymal or endobronchial lesions, the latter representing '1.4 to 11%' of the total number of pulmonary hamartomas. Endobronchial hamartomas usually emerge as a single mass.

Should Patients With COPD Be Vaccinated?

Background: Exacerbations of COPD are a major component of the socioeconomic burden related to COPD, and frequent exacerbations are associated with greater decline in health status. Tracheobronchial infections are involved in 50-70% of exacerbations, so influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for prevention. The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge among COPD patients about the vaccines, find the rate of patients inoculated with both influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, and assess the effectiveness of vaccination status.

Disseminated tuberculosis infection and paradoxical reaction during antimycobacterial treatment related to TNF-alpha blocker agent Infliximab.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors play an important role in the treatment of immun-mediated diseases such as Crohn's disease. But they also have been related to increased risk for disseminated Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections and paradoxical response to antimycobacterial treatment. Here we report a disseminated tuberculosis case and a paradoxical response to treatment after receiving TNF-inhibitor agent Infliximab for Crohn's disease.

Survival from severe pandemic H1N1 in urban and rural Turkey: a case series.

Background: Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) was a serious health problem during the winter of 2009-2010 in Turkey.

Objective: To clarify the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients who needed intensive care in our region.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study from November 2009 to February 2010 of demographic characteristics, clinical course, management strategies, 28-day mortality, and stay in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor presenting as a large mass and a spontaneously resolving nodule in the lung.

A 21-year-old woman presented with nausea, vomiting, decrease in appetite, and weight loss of 6 months and right chest pain of 5 days' duration. Earlier diagnostic work-ups had been inconclusive, and she was referred for the evaluation of the bilateral lung lesions as seen on her chest x-ray. Thoracic computed tomography scan showed a 6-cm mass in the right lower lobe, a minimal right pleural effusion, and a peripheral 2-cm cavitary nodule in the inferior lingular segment.

A case with multifocal masses.

A 70-year-old man presented with progressive dyspnea, chest and back pain, fatigue of 5 years' duration, and dysphagia and weight loss of 1 year's duration. Despite multiple diagnostic work-ups performed previously, no eventual diagnosis could have been made. His personal past history was remarkable for impaired vision and recurrent "pneumonias" over the last 3 years.

Noninvasive assisted pressure-controlled ventilation: as effective as pressure support ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Background: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is being increasingly used in hypercapnic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients but the most appropriate ventilation mode is still not known.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate if assisted pressure-controlled ventilation (APCV) can be a better alternative to pressure-support ventilation (PSV) for NIV in COPD patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF).

Methods: In this prospective randomized study, we evaluated the early effects of noninvasive APCV and PSV in 34 consecutive COPD patients with AHRF.

Transbronchial needle aspiration: a diagnostic tool in routine bronchoscopy.

The fifty six-year-old Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (TBNA) has proved its efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness particularly in diagnosing and staging lung cancer as well as in diagnosing benign granulomatous disease: sarcoidosis and tuberculous lymphadenitis. Although highly specific, the sensitivity and accuracy of TBNA may vary depending on the study methods, patient population (severity of disease) and prevalence of mediastinal metastasis. Conventional "blind" TBNA should be a "sine quo non" of routine bronchoscopy.

Oral forms of tetracycline and doxycycline are effective in producing pleurodesis.

Purposes: We investigated whether oral tetracyclines could produce an efficient and safe pleurodesis as does parenteral doxycycline, which is currently unavailable in many countries.

Methods: Parenteral doxycycline (10 mg/kg), oral tetracycline (35 mg/kg), or doxycycline (10 mg/kg) was injected intrapleurally through a right chest tube in rabbits. The oral forms were dissolved in saline solution and passed through a sterile membrane filter.

Transbronchial needle aspiration in diagnosing intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenitis.

Study Objective: To assess the role of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) in diagnosing intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenitis (TB-LA).

Methods: In a tertiary referral center for thoracic medicine and surgery, using a CT scan as a guide, transbronchial aspirates were obtained with a 19-gauge flexible histology needle in consecutively enrolled patients with sputum smears negative for acid-fast bacilli, and with isolated mediastinal or hilar adenopathy suspicious for tuberculosis (TB).

Results: Of 84 eligible patients who were all found to be HIV-negative, 63 (75%) cases of TB were diagnosed by TBNA (histology, 48 patients [76%]; cytology, 9 patients [14%]; and bacteriologic studies, 21 patients [33%; smear, 8 patients; culture, 17 patients]).

Microalbuminuria in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: In this study, the presence of microalbuminuria in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in whom no proteinuria was determined by conventional methods, has been studied taking into account the possible relationship between microalbuminuria and respiratory parameters and their predictive role on mortality.

Methods: Twenty-five cases with COPD who had been hospitalized because of an acute exacerbation and 25 healthy age and sex matched volunteers were included in the study. Microalbuminuria measurement, arterial blood gas analysis, and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) measurements were performed in the COPD group at the beginning of hospitalisation (admission) and after therapy for an average period of 14 +/- 6 days when they were stable at the time of discharge (discharge).