Role of Multidisciplinary Team Meetings in the Diagnosis and Management of Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Diseases in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Background Decisions on the management of interstitial lung diseases (ILD) and prognostication require an accurate diagnosis. It has been proposed that multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings for ILD (ILD-MDT) improve these decisions in challenging cases of ILD. However, most studies in this field have been based on the decisions of individual clinicians and there are few reports on the outcomes of the ILD-MDT approach. We therefore describe the experience of the ILD-MDT meetings at our institution. Methods A single-center retrospective review of the electronic health care records of patients discussed in the ILD-MDT meetings at our institution from February 2016 to January 2021 was performed. At out institution, at each ILD-MDT meeting, the referring pulmonologist presents the clinical history and the results of all relevant investigations including serology, blood gas analyses, lung function tests, bronchoscopy, and bronchoalveolar lavage. A radiologist then describes the imaging including serial computed tomography (CT) scans. When available, the findings on lung biopsy are presented by a pathologist. Subsequent discussions lead to a consensus on the diagnosis and further management. Results The study included 121 patients, comprising 71 (57%) males and 76 nonsmokers (62.8%), with a mean age of 65 years (range: 25-93 years). The average number of comorbidities was 2.4 (range: 0-7). Imaging-based diagnoses were usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)/chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP) in 32 (26%) patients, UIP in 20 (17%) patients, probable UIP in 27 (22%) patients, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia in 11 (9%) patients, and indeterminate interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) in 10 (8%) patients. The most common consensus clinical diagnosis after an ILD-MDT discussion was chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis/idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 17 patients (14%), followed by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and connective tissue disease associated interstitial lung disease in 16 patients (13%), CHP in 11 patients (9.1%), and ILA in 10 patients (8.4%). Only a 42 patients (35%) required surgical lung biopsy for confirmation of the diagnosis. Conclusion This study describes the characteristics of the patients discussed in the ILD-MDT meetings with emphasis on their clinical, radiological, and laboratory data to reach a diagnosis and management plan. The decisions on commencement of antifibrotics or immunosuppressive therapy for patients with various ILDs are also made during these ILD-MDT meetings. This descriptive study could help other health care professionals regarding the structure of their ILD-MDT meetings and with discussions about diagnostic and care decisions for diffused parenchymal lung disease patients.

Bronchoscopic resection of typical carcinoid tumors: literature review and case series.

Carcinoid tumors have been treated with formal oncological surgical resection, which is considered the gold standard approach. In the past two decades, bronchoscopic has gained popularity for treatment of carcinoid tumors. A 34-year-old female with an unresolving chronic cough, underwent a chest CT that showed right endobronchial lesion. Bronchoscopy and a biopsy were taken from the lesion; pathology confirmed the diagnosis to be a typical carcinoid tumor. Forty-six-year-old male, who was a smoker, suffered from hemoptysis. Pathology revealed it to be an endotracheal typical carcinoid tumor at the carina. Uncertainties, such as chances of recurrence, cost-effectiveness and the inability to achieve formal oncological resection have been discussed and challenged in the literature. With gaining use of this treatment approach, tissue-sparing surgery for carcinoids can improve patient quality of life both in the short and long term.

Mycobacterium smegmatis causing a granulomatous cardiomediastinal mass.

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial species are uncommon human pathogens. They are divided into slow and rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM) with Mycobacterium smegmatis group as an uncommon pathogen among the RGM. A 19 years old male presented with a 1 month history of dyspnea, orthopnea, unintentional weight loss, palpitation, flu-like symptoms and dry cough. Physical examination revealed tachycardia, distended superficial chest veins with a decrease in breath sounds at the right lower lung with fine crepitations. CT of the chest showed a large anterior mediastinal mass infiltrating the pericardium and three chambers of the myocardium that was confirmed using echocardiography. Despite negative workup for tuberculosis, the patient was treated successfully using first-line anti-TB treatment, which was begun before the tissue culture grew M. smegmatis. To our knowledge, this is the first case in the literature of M. smegmatis infection mimicking cardiomediastinal tuberculoma, and RGM should be suspected in similar presentations with negative TB workup, even in an immunocompetent patient. This is also the first patient to be treated using only first-line anti-tuberculous treatment successfully in the literature.

Lung granuloma: A clinicopathologic study of 158 cases.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A granuloma is a common pathological diagnosis in lung biopsies and is caused by a variety of etiologies. The aim of this study was to assess the etiology and frequency of different cases of lung granulomas. METHODS: The medical records of all patients who had lung granulomas between 2005 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the histological features of the granulomas, along with the clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings, an attempt was made to identify the etiology of the granuloma in each case. RESULTS: A total of 158 patients with lung biopsy specimens showing lung granulomas were identified. The histological findings revealed necrotizing granulomas in 92 (58%) of the cases and nonnecrotizing granulomas in 66 (42%). A definite etiology was determined in 133 cases (84%), whereas in 26 cases (16%), the etiology could not be identified despite an extensive workup. Infection was the most frequent cause of granuloma, accounting for 105 cases (66%). Mycobacterial tuberculosis (TB) was the type of infection that caused the largest number of granulomas, and was responsible for 100 cases (63%). Among the noninfectious etiologies of lung granuloma, sarcoidosis was the most common cause, accounting for 20 (13%) of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Mycobacterial TB and sarcoidosis are the most common causes of lung granulomas in our region. In a substantial proportion of cases, the cause may not be identified despite an extensive workup.

Prevalence and characteristics of abnormal Papanicolaou smear in Central Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence and characteristics of abnormal pap smear in the central region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: In this retrospective case control study conducted in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Histopathology at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, all pap smears screened for Saudi women between 2008 and 2011 were reviewed. Approximately 5000 pap smears are screened annually at King Abdulaziz Medical City utilizing the Bethesda III System (2001). All abnormal smears patients' data were collected and compared to the data of randomly selected 200 normal smears' patients. RESULTS: Abnormal pap smear prevalence was found to be 4.3% (841/19,650 Saudi patients were found with atypical epithelial cells abnormalities). Its prevalence in the years 2008 was 5.7%, 2009 was 4.9%, 2010 was 4.2%, and 2011 was 2.5%. Abnormal smear patients have lower parity (p=0.001), and were less likely to use intra-uterine devices (p=0.03) compared with normal smear patients. Presence of abnormal cervical appearance was associated with increased epithelial cell abnormalities (p=0.045). The only positive history that has characterized patients with epithelial cell abnormalities was their previous history of abnormal pap smear (p=0.001). Squamous cell abnormalities were identified in 91% of the patients (767/841), and glandular cell abnormalities were identified in 9% of the patients (74/841). CONCLUSION: Prevalence of abnormal pap smears in central Saudi Arabia is relatively low, while advanced glandular abnormalities prevalence was observed to be high. 

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (Rosai-Dorfman's Disease) as cause of isolated hilar lymphadenopathy and complete remission after high dose steroid.

Rosai-Dorfman's Disease, also known as sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML), is a rare histiocytic proliferative disorder and a distinct clinico-pathological feature of unknown origin. Painless cervical lymphadenopathy is the most common clinical presentation. Different treatment modalities have been tried with variable responses, however, there is no consensus on the best modality of treatment. Here, we present a case report of SHML causing isolated hilar lymphadenopathy with complete remission for more than 6 years, after a short course of high dose steroid (dexamethasone 20 mg daily for 3 days).

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia of renal vein: report of 2 cases.

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia is a benign intravascular process thought to arise from an organizing thrombus. The lesion may present clinically as an abnormal mass and, depending on the location, may be confused with benign or malignant neoplasms. It has been described in a variety of locations. Involvement of the renal vein by papillary endothelial hyperplasia is extremely rare, with only 4 cases reported in the literature. We describe 2 additional cases. In both cases, the radiologic examination revealed a well-circumscribed mass in the hilar region of the kidney, which was considered to be a renal neoplasm. Nephrectomy specimen in each case revealed characteristic features of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia. It is suggested that intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia should be included in the differential diagnosis of a hilar renal mass.