Clinical Course of Coronavirus disease 2019 C-19 in Patients with Bronchiectasis.

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the whole world and caused the death of more than 6 million people. The disease has been observed to have a more severe course in patients with chronic lung diseases. There are limited data regarding COVID-19 in patients with bronchiectasis. The aim of this article is to investigate the course of COVID-19 and factors affecting the clinical outcome in patients with bronchiectasis. Material and Methods: This study was conducted using the Turkish Adult Bronchiectasis Database (TEBVEB) to which 25 centers in Türkiye contributed between March 2019 and January 2022. The database consisted of 1035 patients, and COVID-19-related data were recorded for 606 patients. Results: One hundred nineteen (19.6%) of the bronchiectasis patients (64 female, mean age 57.3 ± 13.9) had COVID-19. Patients with bronchiectasis who developed COVID-19 more frequently had other comorbidities (P = .034). They also more frequently had cystic bronchiectasis (P = .009) and their Bronchiectasis Severity Index was significantly higher (P = .019). Eighty-two (68.9%) of the patients who had COVID-19 were followed up in the outpatient clinic, 27 (22.7%) in the inpatient ward and 10 (8.4%) patients in the intensive care unit. There tended to be a higher percentage of males among patients admitted to the hospital (P = .073); similarly, the mean age of the patients admitted to the hospital was also higher (60.8 vs 55.8 years for the outpatients), but these differences did not reach statistical significance (P = .071). Conclusion: In conclusion, this study showed that severe bronchiectasis, presence of cystic bronchiectasis and worse Bronchiectasis Severity Index are associated with the development of COVID-19, but not with the severity of infection.

Relationship between functional status and fatigue after COVID-19 infection: a multicenter study from Türkiye.

Background/aim: Symptoms of COVID-19 may persist for months. One of the persistent symptoms of COVID-19 is fatigue, which reduces functional status. The relationship between fatigue, functional status, and various other factors has received little attention, which this study aims to address.. Materials and methods: Patients with COVID-19 infection were included in this multicenter cross-sectional study. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), marital status, smoking status, presence and duration of chronic disease, comorbidity index, regular exercise habits, time since COVID-19 diagnosis, hospitalization status, length of hospital stay, intubation status, home oxygen therapy after discharge, participation in a pulmonary rehabilitation program, presence of dyspnea, presence of cough, presence of sputum, and modified Medical Research Council, Post-COVID Functional Status (PCFS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and EQ-5D-5L Questionnaire scores were recorded. Results: We enrolled 1095 patients, including 603 (55%) men and 492 (45%) women with a mean age of 50 ± 14 years. The most common chronic lung disease was COPD (11%) and 266 (29%) patients had nonpulmonary disease. The median time elapsed since COVID-19 diagnosis was 5 months; the hospitalization rate was 47%. The median PCFS grade was 1 (0-4) and the median FSS score was 4.4 (1-7). The PCFS and FSS were positively correlated (r = 0.49, p < 0.01; OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.68-2.10). Both functional status and fatigue were associated with quality of life, which was lower in older patients, those with higher BMI, those with systemic disease, those not exercising regularly, and those with more severe COVID-19 infection (defined by dyspnea, pneumonia as indicated by computed tomography, hospitalization, length of stay, ICU admission, intubation, and the need for home oxygen after discharge). Conclusion: Fatigue may cause poorer functional status regardless of the time since COVID-19 diagnosis. In this study, patients with FSS scores of >4.78 showed moderate to severe functional limitations. It is important to address modifiable patient risk factors and reduce the severity of COVID-19 infection.

Bronchiectasis in Türkiye: Data from a Multicenter Registry (Turkish Adult Bronchiectasis Database).

Background: Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease characterized by permanent bronchial wall dilatation. Although it has been known as an orphan disease, it has recently gained attention because of registry-based studies and drug research. Aims: We aimed to use a multicenter database to analyze and compare data regarding the etiology, associated comorbidities, microbiological characteristics, and preventive strategies of bronchiectasis in Türkiye to those of other countries. Study Design: A multicenter prospective cohort study. Methods: The multicenter, prospective cohort study was conducted between March 2019 and January 2022 using the Turkish Adult Bronchiectasis Database, in which 25 centers in Türkiye participated. Patients aged > 18 years who presented with respiratory symptoms such as cough, sputum, and dyspnea and were diagnosed with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis using computed tomography were included in the study. Demographic information, etiologies, comorbidities, pulmonary functions, and microbiological, radiological, and clinical data were collected from the patients. Results: Of the 1,035 study participants, 518 (50%) were females. The mean age of the patients was 56.1 ± 16.1 years. The underlying etiology was detected in 565 (54.6%) patients. While postinfectious origin was the most common cause of bronchiectasis (39.5%), tuberculosis was identified in 11.3% of the patients. An additional comorbidity was detected in 688 (66.5%) patients. The most common comorbidity was cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis was identified in 19.5% of the patients. The most commonly detected microbiological agent was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (29.4%). Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) were used in 70.1% of the patients, and the frequency of exacerbations in the last year was significantly higher in patients using ICS than in nonusers (p < 0.0001). Age [odds ratio (OR): 1.028; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.005-1.051], cachexia (OR: 4.774; 95% CI: 2,054-11,097), high modified medical research council dyspnea scale score (OR: 1,952; 95% CI: 1,459-2,611), presence of chronic renal failure (OR: 4,172; 95% CI: 1,249-13,938) and use of inhaled steroids (OR: 2,587; 95% CI: 1,098-6,098) were significant risk factors for mortality. Mortality rates were higher in patients with COPD than in those with no COPD (21.7-9.1%, p = 0.016). Patients with bronchiectasis and COPD exhibited more frequent exacerbations, exacerbation-related hospitalizations, and hospitalization in the intensive care unit in the previous year than patients without COPD. Conclusion: This is the first multicenter study of bronchiectasis in Türkiye. The study results will provide important data that can guide the development of health policies in Türkiye on issues such as infection control, vaccination, and the unnecessary use of antibiotics and steroids.

Evaluation of Exudative Pleural Effusions: A Multicenter, Prospective, Observational Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic performances of pleural procedures in undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions and to evaluate factors suggestive of benign or malignant pleural effusions in tertiary care centers. METHODS: This was a multicenter prospective observational study conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2018. A total of 777 patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion after the initial work-up were evaluated. The results of diagnostic procedures and the patients' diagnoses were prospectively recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy estimates with 95% confidence intervals were used to examine the performance of pleural procedures to detect malignancy. RESULTS: The mean age ± SD of the 777 patients was 62.0 ± 16.0 years, and 68.3% of them were male. The most common cause was malignancy (38.3%). Lung cancer was the leading cause of malignant pleural effusions (20.2%). The diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of cytology were 59.5% and 84.3%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of image-guided pleural biopsy was 86.4%. The addition of image-guided pleural biopsy to cytology increased diagnostic sensitivity to more than 90%. Thoracoscopic biopsy provided the highest diagnostic sensitivity (94.3%). The highest diagnostic sensitivity of cytology was determined in metastatic pleural effusion from breast cancer (86.7%). CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performance increases considerably when cytology is combined with image-guided pleural biopsy in malignant pleural effusions. However, to avoid unnecessary interventions and complications, the development of criteria to distinguish patients with benign pleural effusions is as important as the identification of patients with malignant pleural effusions.

18F-FDG PET/CT texture analysis of anthracotic lymph nodes detected with EBUS and comparison with cytological findings.

OBJECTIVE: Lymph node metastasis is the most important factor both in the selection of treatment since many alternatives have been created in recent years, and in the evaluation of prognosis in lung cancer. The most unpredictable cause of lymph node false positivity in fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is anthracosis. The aim of this study is to compare 18F-FDG PET/CT texture information of anthracotic (ALN) and metastatic (MLN) lymph nodes, after re-evaluation of the cytological samples obtained from anthracotic lymph nodes by EBUS-TBNA. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Ninety nine patients, 78 of whom had primary lung cancer were included in the study. Two hundred and three lymph nodes from 99 patients sampled by EBUS-TBNA and diagnosed cytologically as ALN or MLN were evaluated retrospectively. All ALN were classified as grades 1, 2 and 3 cytologically. Volume of interest (VOI) of 203 lymph nodes was re-drawn and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) values were recorded. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in MTV and TLG values in MLN and all ALN grades. However, only grade 1-2 ALNs could be differentiated from MLNs with SUVmax, and no statistically significant difference was found in grade 3 ALN and MLN. Metabolic tumor volume and TLG values over 4.10cm3 and 26.57 showed 60% and 59% sensitivity and 83% and 94 specificity respectively for the identification of MLN. CONCLUSION: The contribution of MTV and TLG values of 18F-FDG PET/CT to the differential diagnosis of ALN is much more valuable than SUVmax values, especially for grade 3 anthracosis. It was thought that cytological reporting of only grade 3 ALN could make a better contribution to the 18F-FDG PET/CT evaluation analysis.

Rapid On-site Evaluation and Final Cytologic Diagnoses Correlation During Endobronchial Ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND: The cost-effectiveness and low rate of inadequate sampling with the use of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) along with endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS) is well established. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the correlation of ROSE during EBUS and final cytologic diagnosis and also to see if ROSE might predict the subtype of lung cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All consecutive subjects who attended our clinic between January 2016 and January 2019 for the evaluation of pathologic mediastinal and/or hilar lymph nodes (LNs)/mass using EBUS were enrolled into our prospective study. ROSE was performed in the same operating room with EBUS. ROSE results during EBUS were recorded. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of ROSE compared with the final cytologic diagnosis were evaluated. RESULTS: We enrolled 684 LN/mass lesions belonging to 328 patients into this study. When we compared ROSE results and final cytologic diagnosis, these procedures agreed on 91.6% of the LNs (P<0.001). The sensitivity of ROSE and final cytologic diagnosis for granulomatous inflammation was 72.5%, and for lung cancer, it was 89.2% (P<0.001). The sensitivity of ROSE for the adenocarcinoma subtype of lung cancer was 67.7%, and it was 70% for small cell lung cancer. CONCLUSION: ROSE may help to recognize non-small cell lung cancer during EBUS, especially the adenocarcinoma subtype of lung cancer, which will help ensure having sufficient material for molecular analysis.

Bronchoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey study.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the attitudes and behaviors of physicians performing bronchoscopy during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: Between March 2020 and May 2020, a total of 153 physicians were included in the study. An invitation letter for the participation in the study with a structured questionnaire of 18 questions were sent to the mail groups twice with five-day intervals. Participation in the study was allowed, until the third day after the second mail was sent. RESULTS: All participants completed the questionnaire. According to the results, 33% of the physicians did not perform bronchoscopy and the majority of the physicians performed very few procedures during the outbreak, although the participants mostly worked at the tertiary hospitals (mean: 7.2±9.3). A total of 20% of the physicians performed bronchoscopy in potential or proven COVID-19 patients. Almost all of the physicians who participated in the survey reported the use of personal protective equipment such as masks and goggles during the procedure. During the pandemic, 9.7% of the physicians who performed bronchoscopy to potential or proven COVID-19 patients and 4.1% of the participants who did not perform bronchoscopy to any potential or proven COVID-19 patients were found to be infected with the virus (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Physicians who perform bronchoscopy during pandemic act in accordance with the recommendations of guidelines. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the SARS-CoV-2 transmission rates of the teams who performed and did not perform bronchoscopy in potential or proven COVID-19 patients in our study, the high rate of personal protective equipment utilization might have played a role in this result.

Effect of High-Risk Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Clinical Outcomes in Adults with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Multicenter, Prospective, Observational Clinical Trial.

Rationale: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an ongoing pandemic, in which obesity, hypertension, and diabetes have been linked to poor outcomes. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with these conditions and may influence the prognosis of adults with COVID-19. Objectives: To determine the effect of OSA on clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Methods: The current prospective observational study was conducted in three hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey from March 10 to June 22, 2020. The participants were categorized as high-risk or low-risk OSA according to the Berlin questionnaire that was administered in the out-patient clinic, in hospital, or shortly after discharge from hospital blinded to the clinical outcomes. A modified high-risk (mHR)-OSA score based on the snoring patterns (intensity and/or frequency), breathing pauses, and morning/daytime sleepiness, without taking obesity and hypertension into account, were used in the regression models. Results: The primary outcome was the clinical improvement defined as a decline of two categories from admission on a 7-category ordinal scale that ranges from 1 (discharged with normal activity) to 7 (death) on Days 7, 14, 21, and 28, respectively. Secondary outcomes included clinical worsening (an increase of 1 category), need for hospitalization, supplemental oxygen, and intensive care. In total, 320 eligible patients (median [interquartile range] age, 53.2 [41.3-63.0] yr; 45.9% female) were enrolled. In all, 121 (37.8%) were categorized as known (n = 3) or high-risk OSA (n = 118). According to the modified scoring, 70 (21.9%) had mHR-OSA. Among 242 patients requiring hospitalization, clinical improvement within 2 weeks occurred in 75.4% of the mHR-OSA group compared with 88.4% of the modified low-risk-OSA group (P = 0.014). In multivariate regression analyses, mHR-OSA (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-0.92) and male sex (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17-0.86) predicted the delayed clinical improvement. In the entire study population (n = 320), including the nonhospitalized patients, mHR-OSA was associated with clinical worsening (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.00-2.39) and with the need for supplemental oxygen (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.06-3.59). Snoring patterns, especially louder snoring, significantly predicted delayed clinical improvement, worsening, need for hospitalization, supplemental oxygen, and intensive care. Conclusions: Adults with mHR-OSA in our COVID-19 cohort had poorer clinical outcomes than those with modified low-risk OSA independent of age, sex, and comorbidities. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04363333).

COVID-19 Pneumonia and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Novel Combination.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a game changer in many aspects of clinical practice. Acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are known as serious events, which can reach a mortality rate of 50%, where viral infections may play a role. We describe the case of a 64-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of IPF under antifibrotic treatment for 1 year; the patient tested positive for COVID-19 with polymerase chain reaction test of the nasopharyngeal swab, and his chest computed tomography results were compatible with COVID-19 pneumonia described in the literature as well as the findings compatible with interstitial lung disease. The patient was successfully treated in the pulmonology ward according to official guidelines about COVID-19 along with antifibrotic treatment and required only a short course of oxygen therapy. We experienced no drug interactions, serious side effects, or complications during treatment. The patient was discharged after 1 week, and he is still in a good condition after 3 weeks. COVID-19 pneumonia in a patient with IPF who survived under antifibrotic treatment without serious deterioration is a new experience. Such cases will probably change our perspective in treating patients with IPF.

Appropriate use of tocilizumab in COVID-19 infection.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the effectiveness and optimum use of tocilizumab (TCZ) treatment by the support of clinical, laboratory and radiologic observations. METHODS: All patients were followed up in the hospital with daily interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, d-dimer, full blood count, and procalcitonin. Thoracic computed tomography (CT) was performed on admission, when oxygen support was necessary, and seven days after TCZ started. Disease course of the patients was grouped as severe or critical, according to their clinical, laboratory and radiologic evaluations. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were included: 70% were male; the median age was 64 years (minimum-maximum: 27-94); and six (14%) patients died. The median duration of oxygen support before the onset of TCZ was shorter among the severe patient group than the critical patient group (1 vs. 4 days, p < 0.001). Three cases of 21 (14%) who received TCZ in the ward were transferred to ICU, and none of them died. The levels of IL-6, CRP, ferritin, d-dimer, and procalcitonin were significantly lower in the severe cases group than the critical cases group (p = 0.025, p = 0.002, p = 0.008, p = 0.002, and p = 0.001, respectively). Radiological improvement was observed in severe cases on the seventh day of TCZ. Secondary bacterial infection was detected in 41% of critical cases, but none of the severe ones. CONCLUSION: Earlier use of TCZ in COVID-19 infection was beneficial for survival, length of hospitalization and duration of oxygen support. The recommendation for administration of TCZ was based on an increase in requirement of oxygen support, progression in thoracic CT, and elevation of inflammation markers, including IL-6, CRP, ferritin, and d-dimer, and decrease in % lymphocytes.

The role of endobronchial ultrasonography elastography for predicting malignancy.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the role of endobronchial ultrasonography elastography in predicting malignancy. METHODS: Between January 2016 and December 2016, a total of 221 lymph nodes were biopsied using the endobronchial ultrasonography-guided transbronchial needle aspiration from 119 consecutive patients (69 males, 50 females; mean age 63.2±12.4 years; range, 16 to 86 years) were included. Lymph nodes were scored by elastography according to their colors in four categories before the procedure. The strain ratio was calculated based on the region of interest after three measurements. RESULTS: Of the patients, 93 were diagnosed with a malignancy through endobronchial ultrasonography-guided transbronchial needle aspiration biopsy. The mean lymph node score of benign versus malignant lesions was 2.2±1.0 and 3.2±1, respectively (p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between the lymph node scores and lymph node diameter, strain ratio, ≥3 of lymph node scoring, the sensitivity for malignancy was 79% and specificity was 60%. The mean strain ratio for malignant and benign lymph nodes was 22.2±30.1 and 5.2±1.7, respectively (p<0.001). With a cut-off value of ≥2.47 of strain ratio, the sensitivity for malignancy was 75% and specificity was 65%. The combined use of positron emission tomography and lymph node score or strain ratio yielded 80.4% and 61.2% sensitivity and 80% and 70.3% specificity for malignancy, respectively. CONCLUSION: Endobronchial ultrasonography elastography is useful in predicting malignancy of the lymph nodes. When combined with positron emission tomography, specificity and positive predictive value for malignancy increase.

Regional distribution of genetic mutation in lung cancer in Turkey (REDIGMA).

INTRODUCTION: The results of standard chemotherapy in lung cancer are not very satisfactory, so it is important to identify genetic mutations that provide targeted therapies. Recent reports have suggested influences of racial difference on the frequency of mutation in lung cancer. We aimed to determine the frequency and regional distribution of genetic mutations of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Regional distribution of genetic mutations in lung cancer in Turkey (REDIGMA) study was carried out as a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study in a large number of centers in which lung cancer patients were followed and could perform genetic mutation analysis on patients' biopsy materials. RESULT: The 703 patients (77.7% male, mean age 63.3 ± 12.5 years) who were diagnosed as NSCLC from 25 different centers were included in the study. Tumor samples from patients were reported as 87.1% adenocarcinoma, 6.4% squamous cell carcinoma and 6.5% other. Mutation tests were found to be positive in 18.9% of these patients. The mutations were 69.9% EGFR, 26.3% ALK, 1.6% ROS and 2.2% PDL. Mutations were higher in women and non-smokers (p<0.000, p<0.001). Again, the frequency of mutations in adenocarcinoma was higher in metastatic disease. There was no difference between the patient's age, area of residence, comorbidity and clinical stage and mutation frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that the EGFR mutation rate in Turkey with NSCLC was similar to East European, African-American and Caucasian patients, and was lower than in East Asia.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of lung parenchyma involvement in sarcoidosis.

PURPOSE: To use ultrasonography (USG) for the evaluation of lung parenchyma in patients with sarcoidosis, andto compare the USG findings with the results of a high-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function test-carbon monoxide diffusion test (PFT-DLCO), which are commonly used methods in the evaluation of parenchymal involvement in sarcoidosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with sarcoidosis and healthy controls were enrolled in the study between January 2015 and December 2017. The clinical findings, HRCT and PFT-DLCO results of all subjects were recorded, and USG findings and comet tail artifact (CTA) measurements were recorded by another pulmonologist. The USG, HRCT and SFT-DLCO findings were compared between the two groups. Based on the findings of theclinical-radiologic investigations and PFT-DLCO, as the current gold standard in diagnosis, the sensitivity and specificity of USG in demonstrating lung parenchyma involvement in sarcoidosis patients were estimated. FINDINGS: The sarcoidosis group consisted of 79 patients and the control group included 34 subjects. The mean number of CTAs in the sarcoidosis and control groups was 33.4 and 25, respectively (p=0.001). In the sarcoidosis group, the number of CTAs in patients with DLCO% <80 and ≥80% was 37.4 and 29.7, respectively (p=0.011), and a negative correlation was identified between the number of CTAs and DLCO% (p=0.019 r=-0.267). The mean number of CTAs in patients with and without parenchymal involvement in HRCT was 36 and 25.5, respectively (p=0.001). The number of CTAs in the patients with sarcoidosis with a normal DLCO% value (≥80%) was higher than in the control group (p=0.014). The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of thoracic USG were found to be 76% and 53%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The number of CTAs in patients with sarcoidosis was higher than that of the healthy controls. The number of CTAs in patients with sarcoidosis with parenchymal involvement in HRCT and/or a low DLCO (<80%) was also elevated. Thoracic USG has a high sensitivity (76%) in demonstrating parenchymal involvement in patients with sarcoidosis.

Can positron emission tomography/computed tomography be predictive of diagnostic success in endobronchial biopsies performed through a fiber-optic bronchoscopy in lung cancer?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of homogeneous/heterogeneous (necrotic) involvement and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) value of the lesion on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) of patients who underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) for prediagnosis of lung cancer and biopsy for endobronchial lesion on the diagnostic success of biopsy procedure. METHODS: Between January 2014 and December 2016, patients with final diagnosis of pulmonary malignancy as determined by FOB biopsy and patients who failed to be diagnosed by FOB biopsy and diagnosed with pulmonary malignancy by a different diagnostic method were examined. These patients were divided into two groups as those with diagnosis by FOB biopsy (Group 1) and those who failed to be diagnosed by this method and diagnosed with pulmonary malignancy by a different diagnostic method (Group 2). The SUVmax values of the two groups were compared with lesion characteristics of homogeneous, heterogeneous involvement/presence of necrotic component as shown by PET-CT. Group data were assessed by Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U-test. In all tests, P < 0.05 was considered significant. FINDINGS: A total of 193 participants with a mean age of 61 ± 9.4 were included in the study. There were 128 (66.3%) cases in Group 1 and 65 (33.7%) cases in Group 2. The mean SUVmax value was 16.4 in Group 1 and 15.1 in Group 2. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.329). Homogeneous involvement was present in 103 (80.3%) cases in Group 1 versus 42 (64.6%) cases in Group 2. In the presence of homogeneous PET-CT involvement, diagnosis rate by biopsy was significantly higher (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: We concluded that the high SUVmax value of the mass lesion on PET-CT did not increase the diagnostic value of the biopsy procedure in patients prediagnosed with lung cancer and that the diagnostic success of FOB biopsy was poor in cases where PET-CT showed heterogeneous involvement of the mass lesion.

A New Modality for the Diagnosis of Bleomycin-induced Toxicity: Ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of ultrasonography (USG) in the diagnosis of bleomycin-induced pulmonary toxicity (BT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included patients with suspected BT during treatment with bleomycin due to various oncologic diseases between June 2015 and May 2017. The patients initially underwent clinical and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) examinations and pulmonary function tests (PFT)-diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO), followed by registration of USG findings-number of comet tail artifact (CTA) images by a different pulmonologist. We compared the findings from USG, HRCT, and PFT-DLCO tests between BT and non-BT groups. With the diagnosis based on clinical-radiologic and PFT-DLCO assessments taken as the gold standard, we determined the sensitivity and specificity of the USG outcomes for diagnosis of BT. RESULTS: The study included a total of 30 patients. Nine patients were diagnosed as having BT according to their clinical and radiologic findings and PFT-DLCO measurements. The mean number of CTA images was 68.7±22 in patients with BT vs 28.2±9.3 in those without BT (P<.001). The difference in CTA images between the patients with and without ground glass density was statistically significant (28.3±9.5 and 64.6±24.5, respectively, P<.001). In patients with BT, there was a negative correlation between the number of CTAs and DLCO% and FVC% values (P=.004; P=.016). USG had a sensitivity of 100%, and a specificity of 95% diagnosing BT in selected patients. CONCLUSION: In bleomycin-induced toxicity, USG findings are correlated with HRCT and PFT-DLCO findings, with a remarkably increased number of CTAs in BT. Thoracic USG examination is a diagnostic tool with a high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing BT.

Relationship of asymmetric dimethylarginine levels with disease severity and pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) has emerged as a risk marker for many conditions related to pulmonary hypertension (PH); however, little is known about ADMA and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) plasma concentrations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our interest centers on the role of ADMA in regulation of endothelial function in COPD and secondary PH. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the serum ADMA, SDMA, and L-arginine concentrations in COPD and its association with PH. METHODS: Patients with diagnosis of COPD underwent pulmonary function tests, echocardiography, and laboratory investigations including ADMA, SDMA, and L-arginine. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of ADMA, SDMA, and L-arginine tend to increase as COPD progresses. Patients with PH had higher concentrations of ADMA, SDMA, and L-arginine compared to cases with normal pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP); the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that increased ADMA, SDMA, and L-arginine concentrations are associated with increased PAP measurements in patients with COPD, however, the relationship is not statistically significant.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration: Determinants of adequacy.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the factors influencing the adequacy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration specimens. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 1,700 endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration samples obtained from 822 patients (500 males, 322 females; mean age 56±13 years; range 16 to 83 years) was performed between March 2011 and March 2014 at our center. Variables potentially associated with sampling adequacy, such as all cytological materials and procedure notes (lymph node and/or lesion size, localization, needle pass number, and slide number) were examined. RESULTS: The overall specimen adequacy was 79.8%. The specimen adequacy was associated with needle pass number (p≤0.001). Adequacy rate was 66.9% for one needle pass and 85.8% for three needle passes. According to the sampling regions, adequacy rates showed a difference [69.2%-85.8%; (p≤0.005)]. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis of subcarinal (7) lymph node station, patient age (odds ratio, 0.983; 95% confidence interval, 0.966-1.000; p=0.049) and number of slides (odds ratio, 1.240; 95% confidence interval, 1.062-1.448; p=0.006) were independent determining factors of specimen adequacy. While independent determinants of specimen adequacy for the right paratracheal (4R) region were lymph node size (odds ratio, 1.486; 95% confidence interval, 0.973-2.268; p=0.067) and number of slides (odds ratio, 1.418; 95% confidence interval, 1.146-1.756; p=0.001), they were lymph node size (odds ratio, 1.594; 95% confidence interval, 0.960-2.645; p=0.071) and number of needle passes (odds ratio, 2.277; 95% confidence interval, 1.360-3.811; p=0.002) for the right interlobar (11R) region. Independent determinant of specimen adequacy for the left paratracheal (4L) lymph node station was the number of needle passes (odds ratio, 1.656; 95% confidence interval, 0.955-2.869; p=0.072). CONCLUSION: During endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspirations, particularly when rapid on site evaluation cannot be applied, consideration of factors affecting adequacy according to lymph node localizations may increase the chance for obtaining materials with suitable quality for cytologic evaluation.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients Referred for Evaluation of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: A recent study reported an association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and low vitamin D levels. In this study, we measured vitamin D levels in patients referred for evaluation of suspected OSA and sought to identify associated risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Our objective was to determine whether evaluations of patients with suspected OSA should include routine screening for vitamin D deficiency. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study design, we measured vitamin D levels in consecutively enrolled patients referred for an OSA evaluation to Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. We conducted full-night polysomnography and compared vitamin D levels both between patients with OSA and patients without OSA and across the various severity levels of OSA. We evaluated the association between vitamin D levels and various clinical and demographic characteristics, including the apnea-hypopnea index and body mass index. RESULTS: From April 2014 to June 2015, 195 patients were referred for OSA evaluation. Of these, 181 patients (93%) consented to participate and underwent full polysomnography and measurement of vitamin D levels. The mean ± standard deviation age was 49 ± 12 years and body mass index of 31 ± 6 kg/m2. Polysomnography led to the diagnosis of OSA in 162 of the patients (89.5%): 52 (32%) were categorized as having mild OSA, 38 (23.5%) as having moderate OSA, and 72 (44.5%) as having severe OSA. Vitamin D level was 15.5 ± 11.6 ng/mL (95% confidence interval; 13-17 ng/mL) and 134 patients (74%) met the criterion for vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/mL). Sex, vitamin D levels, and percentage of patients with vitamin D deficiency were similar in patients with and without OSA (P > .05). Vitamin D levels were similar across OSA severity categories (P = .68). We found no association between vitamin D levels and the apnea-hypopnea index or body mass index. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of patients referred for OSA evaluation had vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D levels did not differ by OSA diagnosis status or severity. Patients referred for polysomnography should undergo routine screening for vitamin D deficiency as well as clinically indicated treatment to prevent associated comorbidities.