[Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: Clinical and prognostic characteristics, a case report]. / Particularités cliniques et évolutives des carcinomes sarcomatoïdes du poumon: à propos d'un cas.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma is a rare malignancy in the family of non-small-cell lung cancer. They belong to a mixed group of poorly differenciated neoplasia, including sarcomatous cells or sarcomatoid-like cells with giant or spindle cells. We report the case of a 69-year-old man with sarcomatoid carcinoma. We describe the main characteristics of these tumors. Diagnosis is frequently delayed and lesions are locally advanced. The prognostic is poorer than other non-small-cell lung cancer. Chemotherapy is often not efficient.

A multicenter retrospective study investigating the role of interventional bronchoscopic techniques in the management of endobronchial lipomas.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary lipomas are rare benign tumors that are usually found endobronchially. Undiagnosed, they can lead to the serious late sequelae associated with endobronchial obstruction. In the majority of cases, they are located in the first three subdivisions of the tracheobronchial tree, and therefore, they are amenable to endoscopic techniques for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. OBJECTIVES: It was our aim to retrospectively study the bronchoscopic management and follow-up of a large series of endobronchial lipomas, as well as defining the demographic and endoscopic characteristics of patients. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter study was performed to identify all cases of lipomas that were treated endoscopically in 4 institutions in the period from 1981 to 2002. Demographic, radiological, endoscopic and histological data were collected. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients were included in the study; 81.6% of cases were males and the average age was 63.5 +/- 15.2 years. The majority of the patients were symptomatic (63.2%). Lipomas were located proximally in 18 cases (47.4%) and distally in 20 subjects (52.6%). Specimens obtained by rigid bronchoscopy were diagnostic in all cases. Thirty-six out of 38 patients underwent therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy. Laser and mechanical debulking was performed in 29 cases (76.3%), cryotherapy and mechanical debulking in 7 subjects (18.4%), and mechanical debulking alone in 2 cases (5.3%). No cases of recurrence occurred during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that endoscopic techniques are effective for the diagnosis and treatment of endobronchial lipomas when there is no evidence of severe distal bronchiectasis. This should be the treatment of choice after a full clinicoradiological evaluation.

[Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a patient taking pravastatin]. / Une pneumopathie iatrogènique rapportée à la prise de pravastatine.

A 41-year-old man who had been taking pravastatin for two years developed hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The initial examination found intestinal pneumonitis and hypereosinophilia. The patient's syndromes gradually resolved with withdrawal of pravastatin. As HMG coenzyme A reductase inhibitors are commonly prescribed, any respiratory symptoms in this setting should be considered with special attention.

[Asbestosis and sarcoid-like thoracic lesions: a case report]. / Asbestose et lésions thoraciques sarcoid like

Mediastinal nodes evidenced in a patient referred for an expert opinion concerning an occupational disease were found to have a sarcoid-like character. The patient was a former smoker who had been exposed to asbestos for 27 years. The patient also had an ENT neoplasia. The nodal enlargements evidenced at mediastinoscopy were the only manifestations compatible with sarcoidosis, a rare association recognized in asbestosis.

[Small-cell carcinoma of the trachea in a 27-year-old patient]. / Carcinome à petites cellules de la trachée chez un jeune homme de 27 ans.

A rare small-cell carcinoma of the trachea was observed in a 27 year-old man. Treatment included chemotherapy and radiotherapy as for bronchogenic small cell carcinomas. This treatment regimen led to complete but temporary remission. The patient died 4 months after the end of the treatment due to multiple cerebral metastases.

Mesenchymal cystic hamartoma of the lung.

We report the case of an asymptomatic 51-year-old man, presenting with chest X-ray abnormalities consisting in multiple pulmonary nodules; the diagnosis of mesenchymal cystic hamartoma of the lung was made by an open lung biopsy, revealing both nodules of mesenchymal cells and cysts with a lining of normal or metaplastic epithelium. Clinical and pathological characteristics of this rare entity are reviewed.

[Pseudotumoral amyloidosis of the lung]. / Amyloïdose pseudotumorale du poumon.

We report a case of pseudo-tumoral pulmonary amyloidosis in which the diagnosis was achieved by a transbronchial biopsy and ultimately confirmed by a necropsy examination of the lung. The lung disorder was isolated without any co-existing disturbance of the immunological system.

[Malignant endobronchial melanoma, apparently primary. Apropos of a case]. / Mélanome malin endobronchique en apparence primitif. A propos d'un cas.

This case concerns a 48 year-old patient whose endobronchial malignant melanoma was discovered on the occasion of a haemoptysis. A search for primary localization remained negative, suggesting a primary endobronchial lesion. Only a few cases of endobronchial malignant melanoma have been published, and several assumptions can be raised to explain the possibility of their primary origin.