Post-COVID Interstitial Lung Disease-The Tip of the Iceberg.

The proportion of symptomatic patients with post-coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) condition (long COVID) represents a significant burden on the individual as well as on the health care systems. A greater understanding of the natural evolution of symptoms over a longer period and the impacts of interventions will improve our understanding of the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 disease. This review will discuss the emerging evidence for the development of post-COVID interstitial lung disease focusing on the pathophysiological mechanisms, incidence, diagnosis, and impact of this potentially new and emerging respiratory disease.

Lung cancer in patients with fibrosing interstitial lung diseases: an overview of current knowledge and challenges.

Patients with progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (fILD) have increased morbidity and mortality. Lung fibrosis can be associated with lung cancer. The pathogenesis of both diseases shows similarities, although not all mechanisms are understood. The combination of the diseases is challenging, due to the amplified risk of mortality, and also because lung cancer treatment carries additional risks in patients with underlying lung fibrosis. Acute exacerbations in fILD patients are linked to increased mortality, and the risk of acute exacerbations is increased after lung cancer treatment with surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Careful selection of treatment modalities is crucial to improve survival while maintaining acceptable quality of life in patients with combined lung cancer and fILD. This overview of epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment and a possible role for antifibrotic drugs in patients with lung cancer and fILD is the summary of a session presented during the virtual European Respiratory Society Congress in 2021. The review summarises current knowledge and identifies areas of uncertainty. Most current data relate to patients with combined idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. There is a pressing need for additional prospective studies, required for the formulation of a consensus statement or guideline on the optimal care of patients with lung cancer and fILD.

Reply to: Pharmacotherapy for lung cancer with comorbid interstitial pneumonia: limited evidence requires appropriate evaluation.

The divergent views on lung cancer treatments in fibrosing lung patients reflect differences due to variable side-effect incidences in different countries and among ethnicities. International efforts are needed to better define treatment approaches. https://bit.ly/3DX40fq.

Hemoptysis due to Tracheal Diverticulum.

Tracheal diverticulum is a rare entity with only 79 symptomatic cases reported till date. We herein describe the case of a 38 year old male who presented with recurrent dry cough and hemoptysis and was diagnosed to have tracheal diverticulum on High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) of chest. This was further confirmed on fibre optic bronchoscopy.