A rare case: Endobronchial solitary mixed papilloma.

Endobronchial solitary papillomas are extremely rare lung neoplasms originating from the bronchial surface epithelium. They often present with cough or recurrent hemoptysis. These tumors are benign, but they should be followed closely because they may even have a low probability of malignant transformation features. It should be kept in mind that malignancy may develop especially if the patient is a smoker. Although the etiology is not known for certain, it is thought to be caused by human papillomavirus in some cases. A 43-year-old male patient was admitted with a complaint of chronic cough. Rigid bronchoscopy was performed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes after imaging techniques revealed a lesion obstructing the lumen of the right main bronchus. The pathology result was reported as mixed bronchial papilloma. We aimed to present our case because of its rarity and to indicate that chronic cough must be further evaluated.

Secondary pulmonary malignancies requiring interventional bronchoscopic procedures.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to share our singlecenter experience and to investigate the effect of interventional bronchoscopic procedures on secondary pulmonary malignancies in terms of complications, success, and survival rates. METHODS: A total of 83 patients (42 males, 41 females; mean age: 57.8±15.2 years; range, 18 to 94 years) with secondary pulmonary malignancies who underwent interventional bronchoscopic procedures between January 2009 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Data including demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, complications, and success and survival rates were recorded. RESULTS: The most common secondary pulmonary malignancies were kidney and thyroid tumors with the complaints of cough, shortness of breath, and hemoptysis. The mean duration before the diagnosis was 34.7±52.8 (range, 0.1 to 219.3) months, and the mean survival after the diagnosis were 10±13.1 (range, 0.2 to 44.4) months. A total of 92% of the patients had an airway obstruction of >50% and the interventional bronchoscopic procedures such as argon plasma coagulation, laser, cryo, and mechanical resection were successful in achieving airway patency. Laser application was found to significantly improve survival (p=0.015). Acute complication rate was 8.4% and mortality rate was 0%. CONCLUSION: In patients with tracheobronchial lesions due to secondary pulmonary malignancies, interventional bronchoscopic procedures, regardless of the stage of the disease, provide rapid palliation in life-threatening symptoms such as dyspnea and hemoptysis due to airway obstruction, prolonging patient"s survival and gain time for additional treatments to take effect for primary disease.

Transbronchial cryobiopsy for diagnosing parenchymal lung diseases: real-life experience from a tertiary referral center.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Transbronchial cryobiopsy (cryo-TBB) is increasingly being used in the diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLD). Varying diagnostic success and complication rates have been reported. Herein we report our experience with cryo-TBB, focusing on diagnostic yield, factors affecting diagnosis, and safety. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary referral chest diseases hospital. Data regarding the patients, procedures, complication rates, diagnostic yield, and the final diagnosis made by a multidisciplinary committee at all diagnosis stages were evaluated. RESULTS: We recruited 147 patients with suspected DPLD. The definitive diagnosis was made pathologically in 98 of 147 patients (66.6%) and using a multidisciplinary approach in 109 of 147 (74.1%) cases. The number of samples had a significant effect on diagnostic success. Histopathologic diagnostic yield and diagnostic yield with a multidisciplinary committee after a single biopsy were 50%, and histopathological diagnostic yield and diagnostic yield with multidisciplinary committee increased to 71.4% and 85.7%, respectively, with a second biopsy (p = 0.034). The incidence of mild-to-moderate hemorrhage was 31.9%; no severe hemorrhage occurred. Pneumothorax rate was 15.6%, and the mortality rate was 0.68%. CONCLUSIONS: Cryo-TBB has sufficient diagnostic yield in the context of a multidisciplinary diagnosis with acceptable complication rates. Performing at least 2 biopsies and from at least 2 segments increases diagnostic success.

Real life results of coil treatment for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction in emphysema.

INTRODUCTION: The lung volume reduction coil treatment is a minimally invasive bronchoscopic treatment option for emphysema patients who suffer from severe hyperinflation. Previous studies have reported successful outcomes in selected cases using coil for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR). Our aim is to determine the changes in respiratory function tests, perception of dyspnea and exercise capacities after 12 months in patients treated with endobronchial coil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of patients with severe emphysema and treated with coils between 2014-2017 were evaluated retrospectively. Dynamic and static lung volume capacities at baseline and 12 months, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) questionnaire and six-minute walk test (6-MWT) results were recorded. RESULT: BLVR was performed in thirty patients (one female, twenty-nine males). Five patients were treated bilaterally and twentyfive unilaterally. One patient died after 7 days and 4 patients died during follow-up. Five patients were lost to follow-up. A total of twenty patients with available data were included in the study. A statistically significant difference was found in mMRC results in pre-treatment and 12-month evaluations. There was no significant difference in FEV1, TLC and RV values at the end of 12 months. There was an increase of 18.9 meters (± 83.5 m) between the baseline and 12 months in 6-MWT. 45% of the patients improved their walking distance over 26 meters which is known as minimal clinically important difference (MCID). CONCLUSIONS: Although no significant changes were observed in pulmonary function tests and lung volumes, the increase in exercise capacity and decreased perception of dyspnea indicate the efficacy of endobronchial coil.

[Bronchiectasis in Turkey: Under the light of national publications]. / Ulusal yayinlar isiginda Türkiye'de bronsektazi.

In this review, we aimed to determine the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in the light of scientific studies conducted in our country. For this purpose, Pubmed, Web of Science ve Ulakbim TR Dizin were searched and the publications available as of July 2019 were evaluated and the findings of these studies were summarized and presented.

Is there any effect of smoking status on severity and mortality of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia?

INTRODUCTION: The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) virus, which emerged from China and spread all over the world, has affected the world in every aspect and will do so in the foreseeable future. This study was carried out to investigate the possible aggravating effect of smoking on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia presenting with pulmonary involvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 114 adult patients who received inpatient treatment in our clinic with the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia between 11 March 2020 and 30 April 2020 were retrospectively included in the study; in particular, they were evaluated in terms of smoking history, severity of disease, need for NIMV and ICU admission, and mortality during their hospitalization. RESULT: The mean age of the 114 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia was 51.14 ± 14.97 (range 16-81), and 77 (67.5%) were male. Of the patients, 19 (15.9%) were active smokers, 23 were ex-smokers (20.1%), 72 (63.1%) non-smokers. The effect of smoking on the severity of the disease, length of hospitalization, need for non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of active smoking in patients hospitalized with COVID- 19 is lower than the population average. In this study, no correlation was observed between smoking status and the severity, prognosis and mortality of the disease. Further studies with larger number of patients and case series are needed to better elucidate the relationship between smoking and COVID-19 and the pathophysiologic mechanisms of the effects of smoking on the natural history of COVID-19 pneumonia.

The impact of co-existing comorbid diseases on long-term mortality in bronchoscopic lung volume reduction.

Aim Emphysema is a lung disease in which alveolar capillary units are destroyed supporting tissue lost. Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) is a novel treatment for emphysema. Several comorbidities have been reported to coexist in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to evaluate comorbidities of patients with severe emphysema who underwent BLVR and association of these comorbidities with mortality. Methods Between January 2011 and December 2017 the records of severe emphysema patients who underwent endobronchial valve (EBV) or lung volume reduction coil (LVRC) placement were reviewed retrospectively. Results There were 37 patients who received EBV therapy and 29 received LVRC therapy. There were no significant differences in the demographic and clinical characteristics between two groups before the treatment. There were seven deaths (10.6%) over the period of twelve months following the BLVR treatment. All deaths occurred in patients with at least one comorbid condition. Mortality was increased in the presence of comorbidities (14.3% vs 0%, respectively; p=0.099), and it was significantly increased in the presence of multiple comorbidities (18.5% vs 0%; p=0.059). The mortality rate was higher (37.5% vs 10.5%) in the LVRC comparing to the EBV treatment group in the presence of multiple comorbid conditions, albeit not reaching statistical significance (p=0.099). Conclusion The presence of more than one comorbidity in patients who underwent the LVRC treatment are associated with significant increase of mortality. For patients with severe emphysema who have more than one comorbidity, EBV is a better choice than LVRC.

[Endobronchial metastases secondary to extrapulmonary malignancies]. / Ekstrapulmoner malignitelere bagli endobronsiyal metastazlar.

Although parenchymal, pleural and mediastinal lymph node locations of metastatic Lung cancer are frequently seen, they are rarely found endobronchially. Endobronchial metastases comprise a portion of central airway obstructions that are diagnosed and treated by interventional pulmonology. Interventional procedures for endobronchial metastases (EBM) can help us reach early diagnosis, or in advanced cases with respiratory symptoms, used palliatively.

What have we learned in interventional pulmonology in the past decade?

Background/aim: The increasing number of lung diseases and particularly pulmonary malignancies has intensified the need for diverse interventions in the field of interventional pulmonology. In recent years we have seen many new developments and expanding applications in the field of interventional pulmonology. This has resulted in an increased number and variety of performed procedures and differing approaches. The purpose of the present study is to provide information on patient characteristics, range of interventions, complication rates, and the evolving approach of an experienced center for interventional pulmonology. Materials and methods: We retrospectively examined the records of 1307 patients who underwent a total of 2029 interventional procedures in our interventional pulmonology department between January 2008 and December 2017. Results: About half of the interventional procedures (47.2%) were performed on patients with airway stenosis due to malignant disease. Among patients with benign airway stenosis, the most frequent reason for intervention was postintubation tracheal stenosis. The number of patients who developed complications was 81 (6.2%), and the most common complication was hemorrhage (n = 31, 2.99%); 94.9% (n = 1240) of interventional procedures were performed under general anesthesia, without complications or deaths associated with anesthesia. Only one death (0.076%) occurred in the perioperative period. A total of 18 patients (1.38%) died in the 30-day perioperative and postoperative period. None of the patients with benign airway stenosis died. Conclusion: Interventional bronchoscopy is an invasive but considerably safe and efficient procedure for selected cases and effective treatment modality for airway obstructions, massive hemoptysis, and foreign body aspiration. Interventional pulmonology is a field of pulmonary medicine that needs effort to progress and provide an opportunity to witness relevant developments, and increase the number of competent physicians and centers.

Our eight years experience in postintubation/posttracheostomy tracheal stenosis.

INTRODUCTION: The most common cause of tracheal stenosis (TS) continues to be traumas according to the intubation and tracheostomy. Bronchoscopy is considered the gold standard for the detection and diagnosis of tracheobronchial pathology. There are several treatment options. We aimed to discuss our tracheal stenosis patients' treatment options, and their follow-up period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive referred patients between 2009 and 2018 presenting with TS were reviewed for the study. Demographic characteristics, localization, length and degree of stenosis, treatment techniques, postoperative complications, and survival were recorded for all patients. RESULT: A total of 110 patients included. The mean age was 53.7 ± 16.7 (16-98 years) years. Of 110 patients, 54 (49.1%) were female. Most common type of stenosis was complex stenosis (74.5%). Mechanical dilatation was applied to all patients. Stenotic regions of 22 (20%) patients were cut with bronchoscopic scissor. Tracheal stents were inserted into trachea of 49 (44.5%) patients. During follow-up period; 36 of 110 (32.7%) patients had surgical resection. Six of 36 (16.7%) patients died during follow-up period (one of them died during surgery), 17 (47.2%) patients had total recovery after surgery. Thirteen of 36 (36.1%) patients had restenosis after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Tracheal stenosis is a process seen after postintubation or posttracheostomy frequently and it has a wide range of management modalities. Although, it is believed that surgery is the most efficient technique in cases without medical contraindications, we determined that endoscopic interventions can be alternative therapeutic options for inoperable patients. Patients must be followed-up after interventional therapies because complications, and restenosis can usually be seen.

Airway stents: a retrospective evaluation of indications, results and complications in our 10-year experience.

INTRODUCTION: Tracheobronchial stents (TBS) are the principal modalities in the management of central airway obstruction with intrinsic tracheobronchial pathology and extrinsic airway compression. The aim of the study is to assess the indications, surveillance management, complications, and long-term outcomes of the TBS managed by rigid bronchoscopy (RB) in our 10-year experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The files of all patients who underwent stenting in two centers from November 2008 to September 2018 were reviewed for background data, type of disease, and indication for the placement of stents, symptoms, treatment, complications and outcome. RESULT: 305 patients were stented with 342 TBS. TBS were placed in both malignant (n= 223) and benign airway diseases (n= 82). The median length of stent stay was 88 (34-280) days in patients with malignancies and 775 (228-2085) days in benign diseases. There was no stent-related mortality. Mucostasis (19%) and granulation tissue formation (17%) were the most common stentrelated complications. Benign nature of the disease, tumors metastatic to tracheobronchial tree, lenght of stent stay, and shape of stent were associated with the development of complications. CONCLUSIONS: TBS offer a safe and effective therapy for patients with both benign and malign tracheobronchial pathologies.

General features of patients with Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis followed in our instution.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare disease affecting young smokers. It is more common between the ages of 20-40 and equals the male/female ratio. Lung biopsy is the most useful methods for diagnosis. The first treatment is to quit smoking. Corticosteroids or chemotherapeutic agents can be used in severe progressive cases despite of quiting smoking. The patients with PLCH followed in our clinic were assessed with general clinical features in the light of the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated patients with PLCH in our clinic between January 1999 and June 2017. RESULT: The female and male distribution of the 21 patients was 11/10. The average age was 35.04 ± 11.78 years. All patients were active smokers at the time of admission. The most common symptom was dyspnea. The most common finding in the pulmonary function tests was obstructive ventilatory defect. The DLCO value of the 70% patient in the carbonmonooxid diffusion test was below 80%. The most common pathologic findings detected in high-resolution chest tomography (HRCT) were cystic lesions involving bilateral upper and middle areas. There were 3 (14%) patients with pneumothorax at the time of admission and 6 (28.5%) patients with pneumothorax history before. The most common diagnostic method was open lung biopsy. All the patients quit cigarette after the diagnosis. There were 6 patients using steroid therapy, 1 patient receiving steroid and bosentan therapy, and 1 patient made pleurectomy due to recurrent pneumothorax. Lung transplantation was done to patient who received combined bosentan treatment with steroids. CONCLUSIONS: PLCH is a rare disease and should be considered in young, smokers with spontaneous pneumothorax and cystic lung disease in the differential diagnosis. As more diffusions are affected in patients, respiratory functions for follow-up should be evaluated with diffusion tests. It is essential to quit smoking in therapy.

[Postintubation tracheal stenosis]. / Postentübasyon trakeal stenoz.

Postintubation tracheal stenosis (PITS) is an iatrogenic complication seen increasingly often as the number of intensive care unit (ICU) bed multiply, the indications for endotracheal intubation expand and disease awareness rises. PITS has a clinical severity spectrum ranging from asymptomatic cases to patients requiring urgent interventional procedures. It should therefore always be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with a history of intubation who present with the complaint of difficult breathing. The golden standart for diagnosis is fiberoptic/rigid bronchoscopy. Even though tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis (TRA) is the preferred traetment, in some selected cases and in the patients who are not candidates for surgery, bronchoscopic interventions can be life saving, temporizing until surgery is possible and even be curative.