Sarcoidosis With Multiple Bone Lesions Mimicking Advanced Lung Cancer With Multiple Bone Metastases.

Bone lesions in sarcoidosis are more common than previously known. A 59-year-old female with a history of sarcoidosis was referred due to suspected lung cancer. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) revealed numerous bone lesions in addition to abnormal uptake by pulmonary nodules and mediastinal lymph nodes, which mimicked metastatic advanced lung cancer. Biopsy of bone lesions detected epithelioid cell granuloma consistent with bone sarcoidosis. Moreover, prednisolone treatment was tried to exclude malignant disease. One month after prednisolone administration, bone lesions and other abnormal uptake disappeared on PET/CT. Bone sarcoidosis is often asymptomatic and is discovered incidentally as multiple lesions that may require differentiation from malignant disease. Biopsy of bone lesions and administration of corticosteroids may be useful for accurate diagnosis.

Acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic: Four case reports.

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) can cause acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF). The onset of AHRF in four patients with OHS during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is reported in this study. Two men (23 and 45 years old) and two women (both 77 years old) presented to our hospital with AHRF. In the two elderly women, a prolonged supine position due to falls seemed to be the cause of AHRF. Treatment was started with bilevel positive airway pressure for all patients. While one patient died, the condition of the other three improved; they were discharged with continuous positive airway pressure. AHRF due to OHS was rarely reported in the rural region of Japan. It is suggested that increased rates of obesity due to lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic may be responsible for an increase in the prevalence of OHS-associated AHRF.

Development of second primary small-cell lung cancer within the irradiated field after chemoradiotherapy: a report of two cases.

Two male smokers developed small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) as the second primary malignancy (SPM) in the irradiated field after concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cancer, which could also be considered as a radiation-induced tumour. A 70-year-old man received cisplatin and S-1 and irradiation at 60 Gy for lung adenocarcinoma eight years previously and an 81-year-old man cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil and at irradiation 60 Gy for oesophageal cancer five years previously. They sequentially received chemotherapy for SCLC, the effects of which were limited, and a refractory course was noted. Chemoradiotherapy is an effective treatment strategy for locally advanced cancer but may be relevant to the onset of SCLC as SPM.

Evaluation of a novel urinary antigen test kit for diagnosing Legionella pneumonia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of a novel test kit that could theoretically detect all serogroups of Legionella pneumophila for diagnosing Legionella pneumonia, in comparison with existing kits. METHODS: This study was conducted in 16 hospitals in Japan from April 2016 to December 2018. Three urinary antigen test kits were used: the novel kit (LAC-116), BinaxNOW Legionella (Binax), and Q-line Kyokutou Legionella (Q-line). In addition, sputum culture and nucleic acid detection tests and serum antibody tests were performed where possible. The diagnostic accuracy and correlations of the novel kit with the two existing kits were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 56 patients were diagnosed with Legionella pneumonia. The sensitivities of LAC-116, Binax, and Q-line were 79%, 84%, and 71%, respectively. The overall match rate between LAC-116 and Binax was 96.8% and between LAC-116 and Q-line was 96.4%. One patient had L. pneumophila serogroup 2, and only LAC-116 showed a positive result, whereas Binax and Q-line did not. CONCLUSIONS: The novel Legionella urinary antigen test kit was useful for diagnosing Legionella pneumonia. In addition, it could detect Legionella pneumonia caused by non-L. pneumophila serogroup 1.

Interstitial lung disease induced by docetaxel and ramucirumab chemotherapy after nivolumab treatment.

Three men (aged 64, 65, and 67 years) with advanced lung cancer who had been treated with nivolumab developed interstitial lung disease (ILD) during chemotherapy with docetaxel and ramucirumab. The treatment was clinically effective; however, the patients experienced immune-related adverse effects due to nivolumab therapy: two patients developed ILD and the third developed psoriasis. Because the patients showed progression, docetaxel and ramucirumab chemotherapy was administered. Although two patients showed a clinical response, all patients developed grade 3 ILD during therapy. Furthermore, the patients developed respiratory failure and needed corticosteroid therapy. Although their condition improved owing to the therapy, the patients could not receive additional cancer treatment and died of cancer. On the basis of the results obtained, we speculated that although the regimen of docetaxel and ramucirumab after nivolumab therapy might be effective against non-small cell lung cancer, it might increase the risk for ILD in some patients.

Hyperprogressive Disease in Lung Cancer with Transformation of Adenocarcinoma to Small-cell Carcinoma during Pembrolizumab Therapy.

Hyperprogressive disease (HPD) is a paradoxical phenomenon involving the acceleration of tumor progression after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). A 66-year-old male smoker with advanced lung adenocarcinoma started pembrolizumab for progressive disease following first-line chemotherapy. He developed HPD after two cycles, and a re-biopsy revealed transformation to small-cell carcinoma. He subsequently underwent two lines of chemotherapy for small-cell carcinoma until progression and ultimately died. Transformation to small-cell carcinoma may be a cause of HPD during ICI therapy. The possibility of pathological transformation should be considered in cases of HPD with resistance to ICI therapy.

Successful treatment of non-tuberculous mycobacterial pleurisy with acute fever by antimycobacterial therapy.

We report two cases of pleurisy caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria followed by pneumothorax. The onset of pleurisy was accompanied by acute fever. Cultured samples of the pleural effusions from the two patients, an 80-year-old man and an 87-year-old woman, were ultimately found to contain Mycobacterium intracellulare and Mycobacterium kansasii, respectively. Both patients were initially administered antibiotics, but their fevers persisted. Therefore, different combinations of antimycobacterial drugs were used, which reduced the fever in a few days. In these patients, pleurisy caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria followed by pneumothorax was characterised by acute fever and improvement in the fever after administration of antimycobacterial drugs; however, the aetiology remains to be clarified.

Mycobacterium bovis-induced Aneurysm after Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Therapy: A Case Study and Literature Review.

Mycobacterium bovis infection after intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy is rare. A 65-year-old Japanese man with history of bladder cancer and intravesical BCG therapy, presented with low-grade fever. An aneurysm with perianeurysmal fluid was suspected and endovascular aortic repair was performed. After 160 days, he developed blood-streaked sputum and computed tomography images revealed that the perianeurysmal fluid area was increasing in size. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction using sputum identified M. bovis. Treatment with anti-tuberculosis drugs reduced the size of the perianeurysmal fluid area. After intravesical BCG therapy, the possibility of M. bovis infection should be considered, thus further investigations are required.

Association between Smoking Status and Obesity in a Nationwide Survey of Japanese Adults.

OBJECTIVE: A positive association between the number of cigarettes smoked per day and obesity has been reported, whereas how other smoking-related indices, such as pack-years and duration of smoking, are related with obesity has been less investigated. We analyzed the age-adjusted cross-sectional association between smoking and obesity in a general Japanese population. METHODS: We used data from a nationwide epidemiological study of Japanese adults (N = 23,106). We compared the prevalence of obesity (defined as body mass index ≥ 25kg/m2) among groups classified by smoking behavior, pack-years, number of cigarettes per day, duration of smoking, and duration and time of smoking cessation. RESULTS: In men, current smokers had a lower odds ratio (OR) for obesity of 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.72-0.88) compared to non-smokers, whereas past smokers had a higher OR of 1.23 (95% CI: 1.09-1.37) compared to current smokers. In women, there were no differences in obesity between the three groups classified by smoking behavior. However, in both sexes, the prevalence of obesity tended to increase with pack-years and the number of cigarettes per day, but not with duration of smoking in current and past smokers. Further, in male smokers, the risks for obesity were markedly higher in short-term heavy smokers compared with long-term light smokers, even with the same number of pack-years. Regarding the impact of smoking cessation, female past smokers who quit smoking at an age > 55-years had an elevated OR of 1.60 (95% CI:1.05-2.38) for obesity. CONCLUSIONS: In a general Japanese population, obesity is progressively associated with pack-years and number of cigarettes per day, but not with the duration of smoking. When investigating the association between obesity and cigarette smoking, the daily smoking burden and the duration of smoking require to be independently considered.

Association of serum adiponectin with asthma and pulmonary function in the Japanese population.

Conflicting findings have been reported regarding the role of adiponectin in asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of adiponectin with pulmonary functions and asthma in the Japanese population. First, among a general population that participated in a previous study (group 1), we selected 329 subjects after excluding those with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a smoking history and examined the associations of the serum total adiponectin levels with pulmonary functions. In a second cohort (group 2) consisting of 61 asthmatic patients and 175 control non-asthmatic subjects, we examined the associations between asthma and the levels of total, high (HMW), middle (MMW) and low (LMW) molecular weight adiponectin isoforms as well as the ratio of each isoform to total adiponectin level. Although the total adiponectin levels were not significantly different between the asthmatic and control subjects in group 2, the levels were significantly and positively associated with the forced expiratory volume in 1 s after adjustments for confounding factors (P < 0.05) in women in group 1. In group 2, the LMW adiponectin level was significantly higher and the MMW/total adiponectin ratio was significantly lower among the asthmatic subjects than among the control subjects after adjustments for confounding factors in both sexes (P < 0.05). The present study showed that a low total adiponectin level may lead to airway narrowing compatible with asthmatic airways in women, and higher LMW adiponectin levels and lower MMW/total adiponectin ratio are significantly associated with current asthma in both sexes.

Systemic dissemination of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis in an elderly woman without comorbidity: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis usually occurs in mildly immune-compromised hosts or those with underlying pulmonary disease. The radiographic pattern of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis is typically a progressive upper lobe cavitary infiltrate with pleural thickening. We report here an atypical case of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis mimicking lung cancer, which developed into a disseminated fatal disease in an older woman with no comorbidity. CASE PRESENTATION: An 80-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital for a chest roentgenogram abnormality. Repeated fiber-optic bronchoscopy could not confirm any definite diagnosis, and she refused further examinations. Considering the roentgenogram findings and her age, she was followed-up as a suspected case of lung cancer without any treatment. Then, 10 months later, she complained of visual disturbance and was admitted to our department of ophthalmology. She was diagnosed as having endophthalmitis. After treatment with corticosteroids for 20 days, she developed acute encephalitis and died four weeks later. Autopsy revealed dissemination of Aspergillus hyphae throughout her body, including her brain. CONCLUSIONS: In older patients, even if they do not have any comorbidity, chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis should be added to the differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary lesions in a chest roentgenogram.

Association between body mass index and asthma among Japanese adults: risk within the normal weight range.

BACKGROUND: Increasing amounts of data have shown that some Asian populations are more susceptible to increased weight and development of noncommunicable disease than Western populations. However, little is known about the association between increased weight, particularly within the normal range, and the development of asthma among Asian populations. METHODS: To examine the association between increased body mass index (BMI) and asthma among Japanese adults, data from a nationwide population-based cross-sectional survey of asthma prevalence in Japan were analyzed (n = 22,962; age range 20-79 years). BMIs were classified into 7 categories considering WHO recommendations (cutoff points: 17.00, 18.50, 23.00, 25.00, 27.50 and 30.00), and the association between BMI and the prevalences of asthma as well as asthma symptoms were assessed by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalences of obesity (BMI ≥ 30.00) in this population were relatively low (males 3.0%, females 2.3%). BMI categories of 25.00 or higher in both genders were significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma compared with the reference category (BMI 18.50-22.99). Even in females with a BMI of 23.00-24.99, the prevalence of asthma significantly increased (adjusted odds ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.16-1.92) compared with that in the reference category. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the prevalence of asthma among Japanese females starts at a BMI of 23.00, which was relatively lower than those reported from Western countries. This finding suggests that the Japanese population is likely to have asthma with a lesser degree of obesity than Western populations.

Visceral adipose tissue level, as estimated by the bioimpedance analysis method, is associated with impaired lung function.

UNLABELLED: Aims/Introduction: It has been reported that metabolic syndrome is associated with impaired lung function, and abdominal obesity is regarded as the most important determinant of this association. We evaluated the association between a component of metabolic syndrome, indices of body composition, including the total adipose tissue content, lean bodyweight and visceral adipose tissue content, as assessed by bioimpedance analysis, and lung function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 516 participants responded to our questionnaire to determine the smoking status and history of past diseases. Waist circumference, height, bodyweight, percent forced expiratory volume in 1 s (%FEV1) and percent forced vital capacity (%FVC) were measured. Fasting blood samples were obtained to determine the serum levels of high-density lipoprotein and triglyceride, and also the blood glucose. The body composition, including the total adipose tissue content and lean bodyweight, was measured, and the visceral adipose tissue content was estimated as the visceral adipose tissue level, by the bioimpedance analysis method. RESULTS: Waist circumference, estimated visceral adipose tissue level and blood pressure were significantly associated with the %FEV1, and the serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly associated with the %FVC in men, after adjustment for age, smoking history, and past histories of bronchial asthma and ischemic heart disease. However, this association was not detected in women. CONCLUSIONS: We found an association between the visceral adipose tissue level as estimated by the bioimpedance analysis method and lung function. (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2011.00189.x, 2011).

A history of ischemic heart disease is a common cause of wheezing in the elderly of a Japanese local community.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate which factors have a significant impact on wheezing and QOL in the elderly of a Japanese local community. METHODS: In 2008, 527 participants (250 participants aged 45 to 64 years and 277 participants aged 65 to 88 years) responded to the questionnaire regarding wheezing and disease history. QOL was evaluated by the Short Form-8. The participants underwent airway reversibility testing. The plasma levels of IgE were measured. The plasma levels of N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were measured in twenty-one participants with a history of ischemic heart disease and in thirty-five age-matched participants without that history. RESULTS: Wheezing was reported by 50 (9.5%) participants and was associated with a lower score of QOL. In multivariate analysis, wheezing was associated with sex (OR 3.12, CI 1.10-9.67) and a history of bronchial asthma (OR 22.3, CI 6.50-84.0) among participants aged 45 to 64 years. Among participants aged 65 and over, wheezing was associated with a history of bronchial asthma (OR 4.86, CI 1.39-15.1) and ischemic heart disease (OR 5.12, CI 1.61-15.0). Participants with both a history of ischemic heart disease and wheezing showed higher levels of N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide. Airway reversibility was only associated with a history of ischemic heart disease (OR 4.65, CI 1.26-17.6). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that bronchial asthma and heart disease are both significant causes of wheezing and affect the QOL in the elderly of a Japanese local community.

[Synchronous pulmonary hamartoma and lung cancer in a young patient].

A 23-year-old man was admitted for examination of an abnormal shadow in the right lower lung field. A chest CT scan revealed a nodule in the right lower lobe and a calcified nodule in the right upper lobe. A diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma in the right lower lobe was made by transbronchial cytology. After resection of the right lower lobe and partial resection of the nodule in the right upper lobe were performed, we diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma in the right lower lobe (pathological stage IIIA) and hamartoma in the right upper lobe. Although several authors have reported cases of synchronous pulmonary hamartoma and lung cancer, it is uncommon in young patients. Since patients with hamartoma could also have lung carcinoma, careful observation is needed.

Nationwide cross-sectional population-based study on the prevalences of asthma and asthma symptoms among Japanese adults.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a common respiratory disease worldwide. However, few reports are available on the prevalences of asthma and asthma symptoms among Asian subjects. METHODS: To determine the prevalences of asthma and asthma symptoms among Japanese subjects, we performed a nationwide cross-sectional, population-based study on Japanese adults aged 20-79 years. Ten areas spread throughout the country were randomly selected. Door-to-door or postal surveys were performed using a translated version of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 23,483 participants. The overall response rate was 70.6%. The prevalences of wheeze and current asthma among all participants aged 20-79 years were 10.1% (95% CI: 9.7-10.5%) and 4.2% (95% CI: 4.0-4.5%), respectively. The prevalences among young adults aged 20-44 years were 9.3% (95% CI: 8.7-9.9%) and 5.3% (95% CI: 4.8-5.8%), respectively. The prevalence of current asthma was highest in females aged 30-39 years in comparison with the other gender and age groups. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide study determined the prevalences of asthma and asthma symptoms among Japanese adults. The results provide fundamental information on the respiratory health of Japanese adults.

[Two cases of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma mimicking malignant mesothelioma].

We report 2 cases of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma mimicking malignant mesothelioma. Case 1: A 69 year-old man presented, complaining of right chest pain. The chest X ray film and CT showed tumors in the right chest wall and pleura. Histological findings of specimens obtained from a percutaneous biopsy revealed spindle tumor cells, and the immunohistochemistry showed that the tumor cells were positive for CK-7, AE1/AE3, and vimentin and negative for calretinin, D2-40, and WT-1. We diagnosed pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma and started chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel, but it was ineffective. Case 2: A 68 year-old man was admitted complaining of general malaise. The chest X ray film and CT revealed tumors in the right chest wall. Histological findings showed necrosis and spindle tumor cells which were positive for AE1/AE3 and vimentin, and negative for calretinin, D2-40, and WT-1. We diagnosed pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma and started chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel. However the disease continued to progress and he died 2 months after admission. The pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma was reported to have spred to the pleural and chest wall. The present two cases showed prominent chest wall and pleural tumors with obscure primary lung tumors. Therefore, we needed to differentiate sarcomatoid carcinoma from malignant pleural mesothelioma.

[Long-term survival case of small-cell lung cancer with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome without anticancer therapy].

A 78-year-old man with complaints of appetite loss and weight loss visited our hospital in November 2006. Positron-emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) showed swollen lymph nodes in the abdominal para-aorta, mediastinum and neck, with intense FDG accumulation. The pathological findings of the cervical lymph nodes revealed small-cell cancer. We diagnosed extensive small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), which occurred primarily in the left upper lobe. As subsequent CT revealed spontaneous shrinkage of the pulmonary nodule and swollen lymph nodes, the clinical course was monitored without anticancer therapy. In February 2007, progressive muscle weakness of the lower extremities developed. In July he was admitted with respiratory failure and required mechanical ventilation. Although we did not administer anticancer therapy due to his poor performance status, he survived for 30 months receiving mechanical ventilation, and the tumors continued to grow moderately. We diagnosed Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) based on the clinical symptoms, the presence of anti-VGCC antibodies and waxing phenomenon on electromyography obtained in April 2009. Chemotherapy with amrubicin shrank the tumors, but his muscle weakness did not improve. Previous reports showed that a prognosis of SCLC with LEMS was better than that without LEMS. In this case, the tumors showed spontaneous regression without any anticancer therapy, and then increased moderately. The immune response was considered to have affected tumor growth.

Interstitial pneumonitis associated with infliximab therapy without methotrexate treatment.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors are increasingly being used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Infliximab (INF) is a TNF-α inhibitor that is usually used in combination with methotrexate (MTX). Interstitial lung disease (ILD) during combination therapy has been attributed to MTX rather than INF. However, INF-associated ILD without combination with MTX has recently been reported. We describe herein a case of severe ILD secondary to INF without MTX therapy.