An unexpected bronchoscopic finding possibly induced by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A case report of bronchial Dieulafoy disease.

RATIONALE: Bronchial Dieulafoy disease (BDD), a rarely reported disease, comes from dilated or abnormal arteries under the bronchial mucosa. Patients with BDD are generally asymptomatic so this disease is frequently misdiagnosed. However, the submucosal arteries may dilate and rupture for various reasons, leading to recurrent respiratory tract bleeding and potentially life-threatening conditions. With the change of reversible factors such as intravascular pressure, the arteries may return to normal, allowing patients to recover to an asymptomatic state. This phenomenon has not been mentioned and concerned in previous studies, but it may have important implications for our correct understanding of this disease. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 44-year-old female was admitted to intensive care unit with recurrent malignant arrhythmias. With the assistance of VA-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), both her vital signs and internal environment were all gradually stabilized. However, she had been experiencing recurrent respiratory tract bleeding. While removing the bloody secretion with a fiber bronchoscopy, a congested protruding granule on the wall of the patient's left principal bronchus was found. DIAGNOSIS: The patient was diagnosed with BDD and the granule was thought to be an abnormal artery of BDD. INTERVENTIONS: For the patient's condition, we did not implement any targeted interventions with the abnormal artery. OUTCOMES: After the weaning of VA-ECMO, the patient's granule could not be found and the bleeding had also disappeared. She gradually weaned off the mechanical ventilation and was transferred to the Department of Cardiology. Then the patient was discharged after her condition stabilized. In more than half a year, the patient is in a normal physical condition. LESSONS: The appearance and disappearance of abnormal artery is an interesting phenomena of BDD. The change of intravascular pressure due to various causes such as VA-ECMO may be the primary factor of it.

Isolated left hypoplasia of the pulmonary artery accompanied by lung hypoplasia and chronic bronchial disease in a cat.

A 2-year-old castrated Russian Blue cat presented with inappetence, depression, and labored respirations. Radiography findings suggested left lung atelectasis; however, the ultrasonography findings did not indicate lung atelectasis. The left pulmonary artery (PA) was abnormally small on echocardiography; further, there were no other cardiac anomalies. Computed tomography revealed an abnormally small left PA and left lung. Furthermore, bronchiectasis and tree-in-bud patterns were observed in the lung lobes. Based on these findings, the cat was diagnosed with isolated left PA hypoplasia, presumed left lung hypoplasia, and feline chronic bronchial disease. Early diagnosis of this disease is important because it can cause serious complications, including recurrent respiratory infection, bronchiectasis, massive hemoptysis, and pulmonary hypertension.

[Tracheobronchial involvement in relapsing polychondritis and differential diagnoses]. / Atteinte trachéo-bronchique de la polychondrite atrophiante et diagnostics différentiels.

Relapsing polychondritis is a systemic auto-immune disease that mainly affects cartilage structures, progressing through inflammatory flare-ups between phases of remission and ultimately leading to deformation of the cartilages involved. In addition to characteristic damage of auricular or nasal cartilage, tracheobronchial and cardiac involvement are particularly severe, and can seriously alter the prognosis. Tracheobronchial lesions are assessed by means of a multimodal approach, including dynamic thoracic imaging, measurement of pulmonary function (with recent emphasis on pulse oscillometry), and mapping of tracheal lesions through flexible bronchoscopy. Diagnosis can be difficult in the absence of specific diagnostic tools, especially as there may exist a large number of differential diagnoses, particularly as regards inflammatory diseases. The prognosis has improved, due largely to upgraded interventional bronchoscopy techniques and the development of immunosuppressant drugs and targeted therapies, offering patients a number of treatment options.

Treatment of mixed and refractory post-tuberculosis tracheobronchial stenosis with L-shaped silicone stents: case series and a literature review.

The two patients included in the study had mixed and refractory post-tuberculosis tracheobronchial stenosis (PTTS), having experienced unsuccessful interventional therapies such as balloon dilation and V-shaped stent placement before the operation. Following the secure placement of L-shaped silicone stents, examinations with a fiberbronchoscope during the first and third months post-operation revealed a significant reduction in bronchial mucosa inflammation for both patients. Additionally, the opening diameter of the upper and lower branch segments increased, and chest CT scans indicated a noticeable absorption of left pulmonary lesions. Three months post-operation, fiberbronchoscopy confirmed the stable fixation of the stent without any movement. The patients exhibited substantial improvements in pulmonary function, dyspnea index, and blood gas analysis, with no reported adverse complications. After 7 months, a follow-up fiberbronchoscope for one case revealed excellent stent fixation. Simultaneously, the chest CT scan indicated favorable re-expansion. The placement of L-shaped silicone stents proves effective in preventing displacement, alleviating airway stenosis or obstruction, and ensuring the safety and efficacy of PTTS treatment - particularly in cases where V-shaped silicone stent placement has failed. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing the L-shaped silicone stent in two patients with PTTS.

Successful treatment of severe airway narrowing due to tuberculosis using special L-shaped silicone stentsThis article tells the story of two patients who suffered from a complex lung condition called post-tuberculosis tracheobronchial stenosis (PTTS). Imagine your airways - the tubes that carry air to your lungs - getting severely scarred and narrowed due to a past bout with tuberculosis. These two patients had tried previous treatments like balloon dilation (where a small balloon is inflated inside the narrowed airway to widen it) and using V-shaped stents (flexible supports placed in the airway to keep it open), but these methods didn't provide lasting relief. In this innovative approach, doctors used L-shaped silicone stents specifically designed to fit in the affected parts of the patients' airways. After placing these stents, regular checks showed remarkable improvements. The swelling in the airway lining reduced significantly, and the openings leading to the upper and lower parts of the lungs got wider. Chest X-rays (CT scans) even showed that the patient's left lung was healing well. Three months later, the stents stayed firmly in place, and neither patient experienced any problems. Breathing became easier, lung function tests improved, and blood tests showed better oxygen levels. Seven months down the line, one patient continued to do extremely well, with the stent securely fixed and the chest scan showing good lung expansion. This groundbreaking study shows that using L-shaped silicone stents can effectively treat PTTS when other methods fail. Not only do they stay in place, preventing blockages, but they also safely and effectively alleviate narrowing of the airways. It's the first time such L-shaped stents have been used successfully in PTTS patients, offering new hope for those facing similar challenges.

Imaging of Large Airway Disorders.

Large airway disorders encompass a large variety of diseases and pathology, with broad categories including anatomic variants, congenital abnormalities, acquired abnormalities, inflammatory/infiltrative causes, infection, and tumors. The most common diseases in each category are discussed with a focus on the salient imaging findings. Pitfalls to beware of are discussed through the article, and concludes with a general method to approaching large airways pathology that should provide the reader with a basic framework and understanding of this complex topic.

Osteochondroplastic tracheobronchopathy: Four case reports. / Traqueobroncopatía osteocondroplástica: reporte de cuatro casos clínicos.

Introduction: Osteochondroplastic tracheobronchopathy is a rare benign chronic disease of unknown etiology. Bronchoscopy remains the gold standard for diagnosing osteochondroplastic tracheobronchopathy. Its typical findings are described as a cobblestone, rock garden, mountainscape, or stalactite cave appearance. The present work aims to show the main clinical features of this rare pathology. Clinical cases: The clinical data of four middle-aged patients, three men and one woman, were analyzed. The main clinical symptoms were chronic cough, dyspnea, and dysphonia. The patient's preliminary diagnosis was made by computed axial tomography of the chest, confirmed by bronchoscopy and histopathological examination. Treatment included medication for symptoms and, in one case, cryosurgery and argon plasma coagulation. Discussion: Diagnosing osteochondroplastic tracheobronchopathy was not easy, given its uncommon nature and non-specific symptoms often found in other pathologies. No case series articles on this pathology have been published in Peru. Therefore, we used the original articles published in other countries to reference our findings. Conclusion: Osteochondroplastic tracheopathy is a benign disease that typically affects adults. Men are more likely to be affected. Its clinical manifestations are non-specific and frequently of pharyngeal origin, and the cause is not yet defined. Chest computed axial tomography combined with bronchoscopy are the main diagnostic procedures. There is no standard treatment with consistent therapeutic effects.

Introducción: La traqueobroncopatía osteocondroplástica es una rara enfermedad crónica benigna de etiología desconocida. La broncoscopía sigue siendo el estándar de oro para el reconocimiento de traqueopatía osteocondroplástica. Sus hallazgos típicos se describen como un empedrado, un jardín de rocas, una apariencia de paisaje montañoso o de una cueva con estalactitas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es mostrar las principales características clínicas de una patología poco conocida. Casos clínicos: Se analizaron los datos clínicos de cuatro pacientes de mediana edad, tres fueron hombres y una mujer. Los principales síntomas clínicos fueron tos crónica, disnea, disfonía. Los pacientes tuvieron un diagnóstico preliminar mediante tomografía axial computarizada de tórax, confirmado por examen video broncoscópico e histopatológico. El tratamiento incluyó medicamentos para los síntomas y en un solo caso criocirugía y coagulación con argón plasma. Discusión: El diagnóstico de traqueobroncopatía osteocondroplástica no fue sencillo por ser una entidad rara, cuyos síntomas son inespecíficos y muy frecuentes en otras patologías. En Perú no se han publicado artículos de serie de casos sobre esta patología. Por lo tanto, tomamos como referencia artículos originales publicados en otros países para compararlos con nuestros hallazgos. Conclusión: La traqueopatía osteocondroplástica es una enfermedad benigna que predispone a los adultos, los hombres tienen más probabilidades de verse afectados. Sus manifestaciones clínicas son inespecíficas; frecuentemente de origen faríngeo y la causa no está aún definida. La tomografía axial computarizada de tórax combinada con video broncoscopía son los principales procedimientos para el diagnóstico. No existe un estándar de tratamiento con efectos terapéuticos consistentes.

Early respiratory interventional therapy combined with antifungal agent for endobronchial cryptococcosis: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Cryptococcosis presenting as endobronchial obstruction and lung collapse is an extremely rare occurrence. While these patients were treated with antifungal agents, unfortunately, half of them showed a suboptimal response. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 45-year-old immunocompetent male was admitted to the hospital due to a cough, yellow phlegm, and dyspnea persisting for 5 months. Chest computer tomography revealed a mass in the right main bronchus accompanied by right lower lobe atelectasis. DIAGNOSES: Endobronchial cryptococcosis presenting as endobronchial obstruction and lung collapse. INTERVENTIONS: Early rigid bronchoscopic therapy was performed to resect endobronchial obstruction, which combined with antifungal agent. OUTCOMES: The patient recovered well with completely clinical and radiologic resolution at 1 year follow-up. LESSONS: This case provides a good example of successful utilization of the early respiratory interventional therapy combined with antifungal agent in obstructive endobronchial cryptococcosis.

Observational study on the potential mechanism of Sanao decoction in the treatment of asthma based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Bronchial asthma (BA) is a chronic respiratory disease closely related to immune system dysregulation. Traditional Chinese medicine has long adopted the strategy of Sanao decoction in the treatment of bronchial asthma. However, due to the multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics of Chinese herbal medicine, we are still unclear about the specific mechanism of Sanao decoction in treating bronchial asthma. To investigate the mechanism of action of Sanao decoction in the treatment of BA using a network pharmacology approach and preliminary validation by molecular docking technology. Traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform and UniProt databases were used to search the active ingredients and targets of Sanao decoction, and BA-related targets were screened according to GeneCards and online Mendelian inheritance in man database databases. The intersection targets were imported into the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction network, and Cytoscape 3.9.1 software was used to screen out hub genes. This study also constructed a "drug-ingredient-target" visual network diagram. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genomes enrichment analysis was performed on targets in the protein-protein interaction network using the ClusterProfiler package in R, with a P value < .05. Autodock software was used for molecular docking to complete the preliminary verification of core components and targets. A total of 73 active compounds and 308 targets of Sanao decoction, including 1640 BA-related disease targets, were retrieved from mainstream databases. Gene Ontology analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis suggested that Sanao decoction plays a role in the treatment of BA through signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt, MAPK, and IL-17 signaling pathway. The 9 core goals represent the main elements related to Sanao decoction in the treatment of BA. Subsequently, the molecular docking results showed that most of the active compounds of Sanao decoction have strong binding efficiency with the hub gene. Sanao decoction has a key impact on BA through multiple channels. In summary, this intricate network reflects the potential of Sanao decoction in treating BA, a multifactorial disease. In addition, this study laid the foundation for further in vivo and in vitro experimental research and expanded the clinical application of Sanao decoction.

[Bilateral stenting for malignant tracheal and bronchial stenosis]. / Bilateral'noe stentirovanie opukholevogo stenoza trakhei i glavnykh bronkhov: pervyi opyt (klinicheskoe nablyudenie).

Malignant lesions of tracheal bifurcation usually lead to respiratory failure and risk of mortality. Airway stenting is the only minimally invasive method for these patients. The authors present a patient with T4N3M0 left-sided lung cancer (inoperable stage IIIc) complicated by respiratory failure due to tracheal bifurcation obstruction. Bilateral stenting by self-expanding stents with perforated coatings was effective for airway recanalization and provided subsequent chemotherapy.

[Overview of canine eosinophilic lung and bronchial diseases]. / Übersicht über die eosinophilen Lungen- und Bronchialerkrankungen des Hundes.

In dogs with chronic cough eosinophilic lung disease (ELD) may be present, especially in young dogs. A breed predisposition has been described in Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies. Chronic cough is the most common clinical sign. Other symptoms include nasal discharge, sneezing, poly- or dyspnea and exercise intolerance. The exact pathogenesis is unknown. Type 1 hypersensitivity reaction is suspected. Eosinophilic lung diseases may be classified into different groups (eosinophilic bronchitis, eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy and eosinophilic granuloma). Diagnostic work-up includes hematology, imaging, bronchoscopy and cytologic examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. A wide spectrum is present in terms of the expression and severity of the changes. The current reported treatment is systemic or inhaled glucocorticoids, or a combination of both.Most patients respond well to therapy. Relapses after treatment discontinuation are common.

Endobronchial Tuberculosis in an HIV-positive Case.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis is an opportunist infection that is fatal and most frequently seen in HIV-positive patients due to immunosuppression. Endobronchial lesions can portray symptoms in different ways. Endobronchial Tuberculosis is one of these lesions. CASE REPORT: An HIV-positive, untreated 26-year-old patient with fever, cough, and dyspnea consulted our clinic. In the chest X-ray taken, effusion on the right side and non-homogeneous density increase in the middle and upper lobes, bilaterally more prominent on the right side, were observed. Therefore, the patient underwent bronchoscopy because the CT (computerized tomography) showed mediastinal lymphadenopathy (LAP) and an endobronchial lesion in the left main bronchus. During bronchoscopy, a vegetative endobronchial lesion that causes obstruction in the left main bronchus was monitored. With the help of Pathology and PCR results, endobronchial tuberculosis was diagnosed. CONCLUSION: Even if Acid-alcohol-resistant Bacillus (ARB) is detected negative in patients who stop responding to antimicrobial treatment and are being monitored under radiological scanning, a distinctive diagnosis of endobronchial tuberculosis should be kept in mind while performing bronchoscopy.

Resistin Pathway as Novel Mechanism of Post-lung Transplantation Bronchial Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial stenosis remains a significant source of morbidity among lung transplant recipients. Though infection and anastomotic ischemia have been proposed etiologies of the development of bronchial stenosis, the pathophysiologic mechanism has not been well elucidated. METHODS: In this single-centered prospective study, from January 2013 through September 2015, we prospectively collected bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and endobronchial epithelial brushings from the direct anastomotic site of bronchial stenosis of bilateral lung transplant recipients who developed unilateral post-transplant bronchial stenosis. Endobronchial epithelial brushings from the contralateral anastomotic site without bronchial stenosis and BAL from bilateral lung transplant recipients who did not develop post-transplant bronchial stenosis were used as controls. Total RNA was isolated from the endobronchial brushings and real-time polymerase chain reaction reactions were performed. Electrochemiluminescence biomarker assay was used to measure 10 cytokines from the BAL. RESULTS: Out of 60 bilateral lung transplant recipients, 9 were found to have developed bronchial stenosis with 17 samples adequate for analysis. We observed a 1.56 to 70.8 mean-fold increase in human resistin gene expression in the anastomotic bronchial stenosis epithelial cells compared with nonstenotic airways. Furthermore, IL-1ß (21.76±10.96 pg/mL; control 0.86±0.44 pg/mL; P <0.01) and IL-8 levels (990.56±326.60 pg/mL; control 20.33±1.17 pg/mL; P <0.01) were significantly elevated in the BAL of the lung transplant patients who developed anastomotic bronchial stenosis. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the development of postlung transplantation bronchial stenosis may be in part mediated through the human resistin pathway by IL-1ß induced transcription factor nuclear factor-κß activation and downstream upregulation of IL-8 in alveolar macrophages. Further study is needed in the larger patient cohorts and to determine its potential therapeutic role in the management of post-transplant bronchial stenosis.