Castleman's disease presenting as a pleural mass in the thoracic cavity.

A 61-year-old non-smoking Turkish woman presented with chest pain for 10 months. Computed tomography of the chest revealed a solitary, relatively well circumscribed, heterogeneous mass of 4 x 6 cm diameter in left posterior-lateral hemithorax. On thoracotomy, an extraparanchymal mass destructing the ribs was determined.

Intrinsic endobronchial obstructions in children from Turkey: evaluation of 2,555 flexible bronchoscopic procedures.

Background: Endobronchial obstructions are rarely seen in children and are often misdiagnosed resulting in delay of definitive treatment. A variety of diseases can cause endobronchial obstructions in childhood, but data is limited as to the frequency, distribution and clinical characteristics of endobronchial obstructions diagnosed with flexible bronchoscopy (FB).

Objective: To document endobronchial obstructions detected by FB.

Relapsing Polychondritis in a Nine-Year-Old Child Presenting with Subglottic Stenosis.

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare multisystem disorder characterized by inflammation and destruction of cartilaginous tissue. Atypical initial symptoms and signs may cause difficulties in the diagnosis of RP for pediatricians. In this article, we report a 9-year-old male who presented with stridor and hoarseness indicating upper respiratory tract involvement in the setting of chronic polyarthralgia.

Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer.

Aims: To investigate patterns of delays among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and to identify reasons for the delays.

Methods: This prospective study included 101 patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Clinical files of the patients were analyzed and a questionnaire was created to obtain data.

Upper airway abnormalities detected in children using flexible bronchoscopy.

Objectives: Rapid anatomical evaluation is essential to establish the severity of cases with upper respiratory obstruction and to define the degree of respiratory distress. Detailed airway endoscopy is required in most patients, not only for diagnosis, but also to treat the condition. In this study, as two of the largest paediatric pulmonology centres in Turkey, we reviewed the data of our bronchoscopy patients, and aimed to document the upper airway abnormalities that we detected during these procedures.

Endobronchial findings of hydatid cyst disease: a report of five pediatric cases.

Hydatid disease is still an important public health problem throughout the world. Diagnosis of the disease is generally based on clinical and radiological findings. Evaluation of pulmonary disorders by flexible bronchoscopy (FOB) is a rapidly developing facility, but diagnostic and therapeutic FOB for pulmonary hydatid cysts is still controversial.

Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia with mucous plugs in a child.

Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia is a rare cause of chronic lung disease in children. A 7-year-old girl who attended our clinics with cough and sputum lasting for 5 years, has been evaluated for bilateral alveolar infiltration and ground-glass opacities. Peripheral eosinophilia was detected in total cell blood count.

Unusual presentation of hydatid cyst: diagnosis with bronchoscopy.

Hydatid disease is one of the major health problems in countries where hydatidosis is endemic. Atypical radiological findings may lead to misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis in these patients. A 13-year-old boy was presented who admitted to the hospital with a history of cough and hemoptysis for six months.

Pulmonary hydatid disease diagnosed by bronchoscopy: a report of three cases.

Pulmonary hydatid disease is an important clinical problem where echinococcal infection is endemic. Bronchoscopy is unnecessary in patients with pulmonary hydatid disease who present with a typical clinical picture and radiological appearance. However, it may be performed when a tumour is suspected or when the radiological picture is atypical.

Diagnostic value of repeated sputum examinations in pulmonary tuberculosis: how many sputum specimens are adequate?

The aim of this study was to assess the value of examining multiple sputum specimens in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). We analyzed sputum smear and culture results of patients diagnosed with culture-proven PTB during 2002. In 1027 patients, the diagnosis was established by detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli in sputum samples.