Is video demonstration for type III sleep studies performance worse than technical face-to-face teaching?

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-disordered breathing. The high prevalence makes its diagnosis a priority. To perform type III sleep studies, patients usually receive instructions from a technician. The switch to instructions through a video could save professionals time and make OSA diagnosis more accessible. This study aimed to compare the technical quality of type III sleep studies when instructions are provided by face-to-face technical teaching or via video. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients aged ≥ 18 years with suspected OSA were randomly assigned to receive device placement instructions in person by a technician or through video (50 in each group). The overall quality of the sleep studies was analyzed by determining the number of technically invalid studies. The recording quality of four sensors (pulse oximeter, nasal flow cannula, chest, and abdominal bands) was evaluated by checking for signal artifacts. RESULTS: The majority (86%) of the studies were valid. 20% of the studies in the face-to-face group and 8% of the studies in the video-instruction group were technically invalid, but no statistically significant difference was found (p = 0.148). The quality of the oximetry signal was better in those who received video instructions (p = 0.05). Regarding the recording quality of the remaining sensors, no significant differences were found. CONCLUSIONS: Type III sleep studies with previous explanation through a video are as effective as those with an explanation performed by a technician, with associated advantages, without increased errors. The quality of the oximetry signal was better in the video group, a critical signal for OSA diagnosis.

When benign leiomyomas metastasize to the lungs - a case report.

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma is a rare disease that primarily affects premenopausal women who have a history of uterine leiomyoma, which is characterized by pulmonary metastases. The pathogenesis of this condition is unknown. Patients are usually asymptomatic or have vague symptoms. Pathological examination in conjunction with immunohistochemistry is required for diagno-sis. Treatment is determined by the patient's age, hormonal status, symptoms, and the extent of the lesions (number, size, and location of nodules), with surgical resection being the most effective. We present the case of a 72-year-old woman who had a total hysterec-tomy 30 years earlier due to myomas and developed a persistent dry cough. Her computed tomography of the chest revealed several small nodules in the pulmonary parenchyma. Because of the nod-ules' small size and difficult accessibility, a surgical biopsy was per-formed for histopathological examination and immunohistochemi-cal staining, which revealed metastasizing leiomyoma. Letrozole treatment was started and was well tolerated.

Sarcoidosis-like reaction secondary to adalimumab treatment in a patient with axial spondyloarthritis.

Anti-TNF agents, namely adalimumab, are safe drugs that represent an important arsenal in the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. "Paradoxical effects" have been described with their use. A sarcoidosis "like" reaction induced by these agents is rare and is characterized by a systemic granulomatous reaction indistinguishable from sarcoidosis. We present a 55-year-old male patient, with axial spondyloarthritis, treated with with adalimumab. About 17 months under this therapy, he complained of dry cough and wheezing. Chest CT showed a peri-lymphatic and pericisural micronodular pattern and hilo-mediastinal lymph nodes, suggestive of sarcoidosis. Angiotensin converting enzyme was increased. Assuming the hypothesis of a sarcoidosis-like reaction secondary to adalimumab this therapy was discontinued with progressive improvement in the patient's complaints and in the radiological changes.

Interstitial nephritis secondary to treatment with pembrolizumab, a rare complication in two patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi) have become nowadays one of the most widely prescribed anticancer treatments. Pembrolizumab is a highly selective monoclonal immunoglobulin approved as a first-line monotherapy treatment in adult patients with untreated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with programmed cell death 1 (PD-L1) expression greater than 50% and lack of mutations. ICPi can precipitate immune-related adverse events. Data on the incidence and characteristics of nephrotoxicity from ICPi are limited and caused largely from small case series and oncologic studies. Two patients with a diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, undergoing treatment with pembrolizumab who manifested interstitial nephritis secondary to this treatment, are presented below. The growing use of immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer imposes the physician's attention to possible adverse effects.

Late diagnosis of pulmonary agenesis.

Pulmonary agenesis is defined as the complete absence of one or both lungs, including the bronchi, bronchioles, vasculature and lung parenchyma. Most of these malformations are detected in early childhood. A residual number remains asymptomatic and undiagnosed until adulthood. The clinical presentation is wide, ranging from asymptomatic to respiratory complaints like dyspnoea, respiratory distress and a history of recurrent lung infections. This case presents a 54-year-old woman with complaints of coughing, dyspnoea for medium exertion and wheezing for a couple of months. Based on the results of complementary diagnosis methods, right pulmonary agenesis was diagnosed without other malformations. Simultaneously, an asthma diagnosis was also performed. The treatment of pulmonary agenesis is symptomatic. Simultaneous cardiovascular malformations could require surgical interventions. This case demonstrates that pulmonary agenesis may remain undiagnosed, be identified incidentally, and have a good and long prognosis.