Endobronchial Glandular Papilloma With Atypical Histologic Characteristics: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Papilloma of the lung is a rare benign entity and can be solitary or multiple. Solitary papilloma is subclassified into three categories: squamous papilloma, glandular papilloma, and mixed squamous and glandular papilloma. Glandular papilloma is the rarest subtype among them and occurs mostly in the sixth decade without any relation to smoking, syndrome, or infection. Histology is characterized by mixture of pseudostratified, columnar, nonciliated, mucinous epithelium-lined papillary fronds without any mitoses, necrosis, or atypia. The differential diagnosis can be broad depending upon the histologic features present in a particular case and may include both benign and malignant entities. We present here a patient with glandular endobronchial papilloma showing unusual clinical history and atypical histologic features, which required extensive immunohistochemical evaluation to establish a final diagnosis.

Endoscopic sinus surgery improves aspirin treatment response in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin desensitization and treatment benefits most patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), although some patients fail therapy. Our objective was to assess whether recent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) improved aspirin treatment outcomes in AERD patients who initially failed aspirin therapy. METHODS: Outcomes of aspirin desensitization and treatment in AERD patients prospectively enrolled were assessed preoperatively and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after ESS by determining changes in Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores and respiratory function. Biomarkers, including fractional excretion of nitric oxide (FeNO), spirometry, nasal inspiratory peak flow (NPF), immunoglobulin E (IgE), and eosinophil count, were measured. RESULTS: Nineteen patients who benefited (responders) and 21 patients who failed (nonresponders) preoperative aspirin treatment with a distant history of ESS (mean, 48 months) were identified. Nonresponders were more likely to be African American (71%, p < 0.01) and have higher baseline IgE levels (252 kU/L vs 87 kU/L in responders, p < 0.01). 24 of the 40 patients (nine responders and 15 non-responders) required subsequent ESS and underwent another aspirin desensitization 3-4 weeks after ESS. All 24 patients tolerated a second round of aspirin desensitization and treatment. The primary aspirin therapy was associated with a significant increase in IgE in nonresponders, but there was no significant increase in IgE after the second aspirin desensitization and treatment. CONCLUSION: Antecedent ESS enhances aspirin treatment responses in AERD patients and may convert patients who failed aspirin treatment before surgery to a more responsive phenotype after ESS. Patients with higher baseline serum IgE levels may benefit from ESS performed shortly before aspirin desensitization and therapy.

Sinus Surgery Is Associated with a Decrease in Aspirin-Induced Reaction Severity in Patients with Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

BACKGROUND: Nasal polyps influence the burden of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) by contributing to eicosanoid production. AERD is diagnosed through graded aspirin challenges. It is not known how sinus surgery affects aspirin challenge outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) on aspirin-induced reaction severity and on the levels of eicosanoids associated with these reactions. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with AERD were challenged with aspirin before and 3 to 4 weeks after ESS. Respiratory parameters and plasma and urine levels of eicosanoids were compared before and after challenges. RESULTS: Before ESS, AERD diagnosis was confirmed in all study patients by aspirin challenges that resulted in hypersensitivity reactions. After ESS, reactions to aspirin were less severe in all patients and 12 of 28 patients (43%, P < .001) had no detectable reaction. A lack of clinical reaction to aspirin was associated with lower peripheral blood eosinophilia (0.1 K/µL [interquartile range (IQR) 0.1-0.3] vs 0.4 K/µL [IQR 0.2-0.8]; P = .006), lower urinary leukotriene E4 levels after aspirin challenge (98 pg/mg creatinine [IQR 61-239] vs 459 pg/mg creatinine [IQR 141-1344]; P = .02), and lower plasma prostaglandin D2 to prostaglandin E2 ratio (0 [±0] vs 0.43 [±0.2]; P = .03), compared with those who reacted. CONCLUSIONS: Sinus surgery results in decreased aspirin sensitivity and a decrease in several plasma and urine eicosanoid levels in patients with AERD. Diagnostic aspirin challenges should be offered to patients with suspected AERD before ESS to increase diagnostic accuracy. Patients with established AERD could undergo aspirin desensitizations after ESS as the severity of their aspirin-induced hypersensitivity reactions lessens.

A Novel Independent Survival Predictor in Pulmonary Embolism: Prognostic Nutritional Index.

The prognostic impact of nutritional status in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) is poorly understood. A well-accepted nutritional status parameter, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which was first demonstrated to be valuable in patients with cancer and gastrointestinal surgery, was introduced to patients with PE. Our aim was to evaluate the predictive value of PNI in outcomes of patients with PE. We evaluated the in-hospital and long-term (53.8 ± 5.4 months) prognostic impact of PNI on 251 patients with PE. During a median follow-up of 53.8 ± 5.4 months, 27 (11.6%) patients died in hospital course and 31 (13.4%) died in out-of-hospital course. The patients with lower PNI had significantly higher in-hospital and long-term mortality. The Cox proportional hazard analyses showed that PNI was associated with an increased risk of all-cause death for both unadjusted model and adjusted for all covariates. Our study demonstrated that PNI, calculated based on serum albumin level and lymphocyte count, is an independent prognostic factor for mortality in patients with PE.

Longest surviving case of unoperated Stanford type A aortic dissection.

Stanford type A aortic dissection requires urgent intervention and immediate surgical approach in the emergency department. Survival rate is low, even in patients who undergo immediate surgery. Presently described is a case of unoperated Stanford type A aortic dissection that has been in follow-up under beta-blocker treatment for 7 years. To the best of our knowledge, our case is the longest surviving patient with unoperated type A aortic dissection reported in the literature.