Right middle lobe syndrome after upper lobectomy: Role of the bronchial angle.

BACKGROUND: Right middle lobe syndrome is part of a spectrum of relatively rare but serious conditions that may occur following right upper lobectomy. We aimed to assess whether the preoperative middle lobe bronchial angle on CT predicted patients at risk of developing middle lobe syndrome. METHOD: All patients who had a complete upper lobectomy over 4 years were retrospectively reviewed for clinical and imaging findings of middle lobe syndrome. Patients with previous lung surgery, preoperative chemo- or radiation therapy, or more extensive surgical resection were excluded. Patient demographics and symptoms, the surgical, pathologic and bronchoscopy reports, and pre- and post-operative chest imaging, to include 3D CT reconstructions and measurements of the middle lobe angles in a subset of patients, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULT: One hundred and twenty-eight patients met inclusion criteria. Ten (8%) had middle lobe syndrome based on symptoms and imaging features. Eight had severe middle lobe consolidation. Two had postoperative onset of wheezing, with middle lobe bronchial abnormality on CT. The pre- and postoperative middle lobe bronchial angles of 14 patients without middle lobe syndrome were compared to 10 patients with middle lobe syndrome. The middle lobe bronchus was completely obliterated postoperatively and could not be determined in 1 patient. There was no significant difference between the pre- and postoperative angles in patients with or without middle lobe syndrome. CONCLUSION: Middle lobe syndrome occurred in 8% of patients with right upper lobectomy. The preoperative middle lobe bronchial angle did not predict patients at risk for developing middle lobe syndrome.

Middle lobe syndrome revealing Broncholithiasis: A Case Report.

Middle lobe syndrome is a rare but important clinical entity worth investigating in local obstructive or inflammatory cause. One of its rare etiologies is broncholithiasis. We report the observation of a young female patient who presented with recurrent hemoptysis. Chest CT scan showed atelectasis of the middle lobe and suggested the diagnosis of broncholithiasis by objectifying, within the collapsed lobe, a calcification located in the bronchial lumen. Bronchial fibroscopy was of little help. Recurrent hemoptysis and doubt about pulmonary neoplasia led to a diagnostic and therapeutic lobectomy. In front of MLS, broncholithiasis should be suspected in the presence of calcifications on imaging. Surgery may be required in case of uncertain cases to not ignore an underlying tumor.

Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica - a 61-year-old female with middle lobe syndrome.

The authors present a case of a 61-year-old female patient suffering from tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TBO). Etiology of this unit is uncertain. TBO is characterised by presence of multiple nodules of various size, situated in the submucosa of the trachea and major bronchi. The course is usually benign, until lesion obstructs the bronchial lumen. In the presented case, occluded middle lobe bronchi resulted in peripheral atelectasis of the lung.

Infectious Causes of Right Middle Lobe Syndrome.

Right middle lobe (RML) syndrome is defined as recurrent or chronic obstruction or infection of the middle lobe of the right lung. Nonobstructive causes of middle lobe syndrome include inflammatory processes and defects in the bronchial anatomy and collateral ventilation. We report on 2 case patients with RML syndrome, one due to infection with Mycobacterium avium complex followed by M asiaticum infection and the other due to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. A history of atopy, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been reported in up to one-half of those with RML. The diagnosis can be made by plain radiography, computed tomography, and bronchoscopy. Medical treatment consists of bronchodilators, mucolytics, and antimicrobials. Patients whose disease is unresponsive to treatment and those with obstructive RML syndrome can be offered surgical treatment.

Middle lobe syndrome: a rare presentation of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a disease predominantly seen in susceptible asthmatic subjects, due to a hypersensitivity phenomenon caused by colonisation of the airways by Aspergillus species. Although collapse, both lobar and segmental due to mucoid impaction, is not uncommon in ABPA, a middle lobe syndrome (MLS) secondary to ABPA is rather an uncommon association. We report this rare and unusual clinical presentation in a 36-year-old male, who presented for evaluation of a "non resolving pneumonia". Imaging suggested the presence of a MLS and central bronchiectasis. Further investigations revealed that the patient met 6/8 of the essential diagnostic criteria for ABPA. Appropriate therapy with oral corticosteroids resulted in remarkable symptomatic improvement.

Middle lobe syndrome in the left lower lobe in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Middle lobe syndrome is a term that refers to a recurrent collapse of a lung segment, typically the right middle lobe. We discuss a case that middle lobe syndrome occurred in an unusual lung segment and related to an unusual cause.

[A case of primary Sjögren's syndrome presenting with middle lobe syndrome complicated by nontuberculous mycobacteriosis].

A 52-year-old woman was found to have abnormal shadows in her chest radiograph in a health examination. At the age of 47 middle lobe syndrome had been pointed out and Mycobacterium intracellulare had been cultured from her sputum. Chest computed tomography scans showed a coin lesion and bronchiectasis in the middle lobe. On the other hand she suffered xerostomia and had a high level of serum anti-SS-A antibody. Further examination of her eyes and mouth gave her a diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). By video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery we resected the coin lesion which contained an abscess with acid-fast bacilli, identical to Mycobacterium intracellulare. The histopathology showed lymphocytic infiltration, caseous necrosis with Langhans' giant cells, and epithelioid granulomas. We finally made a diagnosis of pSS presenting with middle lobe syndrome (MLS) complicated by nontuberculous mycobacterial disease (NTM). We discuss the mechanism by which pSS could be complicated by NTM and MLS. Clinicians should pay attention to this possible relationship, especially among middle-aged and elderly women.

Bronchial anthracofibrosis and tuberculosis presenting as a middle lobe syndrome.

Bronchial anthracofibrosis, a clinical entity described less than a decade ago, is characterised by anthracotic pigmentation of the bronchial mucosa with multifocal bronchial lumen narrowing. The right middle lobe is predominantly involved and is frequently associated with tuberculosis. The condition is generally seen in non-smoking elderly ladies with a longstanding history of wood smoke exposure. A 65 year-old lady presented to us with a one-month history of dry cough. The chest radiograph revealed a middle lobe syndrome which was confirmed on computed tomography (CT) scanning. In addition, narrowing of the right middle lobe bronchus was seen. This raised the suspicion of a malignancy. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy revealed anthracotic pigmentation, and bronchial aspirate showed acid fast bacilli. Culture of the aspirate grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient responded to standard antituberculous treatment.

[Two cases of chronic atelectasis that improved through use of nasal continuous positive pressure].

We observed improvements in two cases of chronic atelectasis through use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP). Case 1 suffered from middle lobe syndrome accompanied by chronic atelectasis resistant to medical treatment. Case 2 suffered from respiratory failure caused by chronic atelectasis and airway infection complications thereof following a total pneumonectomy and post-pneumonectomy syndrome. The patient was placed on artificial ventilation, and atelectasis was improved by maintaining PEEP and airflow to the atelectatic region. Following extubation we obtained good pneumatization using nCPAP. nCPAP has been reported as effective not only in cases of sleep apnea, but also for cardiogenic pulmonary edema and post-operative atelectasis; we believe it holds great promise for chronic atelectasis as well.

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness, atopy, and bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophils in persistent middle lobe syndrome.

Most cases of middle lobe syndrome (MLS) in children are considered to be due to asthma and may recover spontaneously; however, in persistent MLS, repeated episodes of infection often institute a vicious cycle that may lead to persistent symptoms and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). The present study was undertaken to investigate whether asthma, as an underlying diagnosis, is predictive of a favorable outcome of children with persistent MLS. We evaluated 53 children with MLS who underwent an aggressive management protocol that included fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). These patients were compared to two other groups: one consisting of children with current asthma but no evidence of MLS (N = 40) and another of non-asthmatic controls (N = 42), matched for age and sex. Prevalence of sensitization (>or=1 aeroallergen) did not differ between patients with MLS and "non-asthmatics" but was significantly lower than that of "current asthmatics." A positive response to methacholine bronchial challenge was observed with increased frequency among children with MLS when compared to "current asthmatic" and non-asthmatic children. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between an increased number of eosinophils in the BAL fluid (BALF) and a favorable outcome, whereas no correlation was detected between sensitization or BHR and BAL cellular components. In conclusion, children with MLS have an increased prevalence of BHR, even when compared to asthmatics, but exhibit prevalence of atopy similar to that of non-asthmatics. An increased eosinophilic BALF count is predictive of symptomatic but not radiographic improvement of MLS patients after aggressive anti-asthma management.

Middle lobe syndrome as the pulmonary manifestation of primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Middle lobe syndrome - recurrent atelectasis and/or bronchiectasis involving the right middle lobe and/or lingula - has, up to now, not been reported as the pulmonary manifestation of primary Sjögren's syndrome. We describe a patient in whom lymphocytic bronchiolitis in the atelectatic lobes was proved histologically from two separate transbronchial biopsies. The atelectasis responded well to glucocorticoid treatment, suggesting that the peribronchiolar lymphocytic infiltrates may have played an important role in the development of middle lobe syndrome in this patient.

Middle lobe syndrome in children with asthma: review of 56 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Middle lobe syndrome (MLS) is one of the complications of asthma. Its signs and symptoms are often nonspecific, causing delay in appropriate treatment. We aimed to review our pediatric asthmatic patients and provide differential characteristics between MLS and asthma worsening in order to target early diagnosis. METHOD: File records of all asthmatics (n=3528) seen in our clinic during the last 2 years were retrospectively reviewed to identify the patients with MLS, and a case-control study was undertaken. Files of 56 asthmatic children diagnosed as MLS, with a total of 63 episodes, and 63 matched controls with asthma worsening were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The incidence of MLS was 1.62% and half were below or at the age of 6. All cases with MLS were documented radiologically, and only 5 of the 63 episodes had physical findings suspicious for MLS. The most affected segments were right middle lobe (50%) and left lingula (26.2%). Although in all cases symptoms cleared, in 23 (36.5%) cases, atelectasis persisted radiologically. Compared to controls, patients with MLS included less atopics (34.9% vs. 59.4%, p<0.05) and fewer boys (52.4% vs. 71.4%, p<0.05), and they reported less frequent dyspnea (57.1% vs. 85.9%), more frequent sputum production (49.2% vs. 7.8%), and longer duration of complaints (22.0+/-6.23 vs. 2.4+/-0.31 days) (p<0.001, for each). Furthermore, the resolution of symptoms took significantly longer (45.2+/-9.3 vs. 3.3+/-0.4 days, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: We conclude that complicating MLS in childhood asthma is more frequent in younger ages, girls, and nonatopics. In most cases, physical findings are not informative, and chest radiographs diagnose most but not all cases. The most suggestive symptoms are unresolving/persisting symptoms during admission and/or following treatment.

[Treatment of middle-lobe syndrome]. / Lechenie srednedolevogo sindroma.

Results of treatment of 242 patients with middle-lobe syndrome are analyzed. Indications for surgical treatment of middle-lobe syndrome must be determined very individually. Organo-saving surgeries are the methods of choice for benign processes in the middle lobe. In malignant tumors, destructive and cirrhotic processes of the middle lobe the resections are indicated.

[Pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease showing middle lobe syndrome--pathological findings of 2 cases suggesting different mode of development].

Two different processes have been proposed for pathogenesis of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease which show the middle lobe syndrome: 1) middle lobe bronchiectasis followed by MAC infection and 2) MAC disease resulted in secondary bronchiectasis. Two surgical specimen from MAC cases showing middle lobe syndrome were studied histo-pathologically. The first case was a 60 year-old female with frequent bloody sputum, who had been diagnosed as bronchiectasis in her childhood. Pathological examination of the resected middle lobe showed prominent cylindric bronchiectasis in the indurated middle lobe, and epithelioid cell granulomas were scattered limited to the fibrous bronchial walls, without any granulomas in the lung parenchyma. These findings suggested a secondary infection of MAC to the non-specific pre-existed bronchiectasis. The second case of a 55 year-old female having repeated bloody sputum, who was diagnosed to be tuberculosis but no improvement with anti-tuberculosis drugs. Pathological examination of the middle lobe showed scattered epithelioid cell granulomas with lymphocytic infiltration in the lung parenchyma. A few epithelioid cell granulomas were also found in the mucosa of middle lobe bronchi. In this case, pulmonary MAC lesions seemed to precede the central bronchial lesion with later development of bronchiectasis. Summarizing above findings two different mode of pathogenesis ways may be considered; one is non-specific bronchiectasis followed by middle lobe MAC disease and the other is pulmonary MAC lesion in the middle lobe as a primary change.