Segmental pulmonary veno-occlusive disease secondary to lung cancer.

This report describes two cases of segmental pulmonary vein occlusion secondary to lung malignancy in which lung biopsies showed histological features of veno-occlusive disease. These are the first cases to be reported in the literature in which such lung parenchymal histological changes are described in association with lung malignancy.

Immunoglobulins and complement in pleural effusions associated with bronchogenic carcinoma.

Levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, the total haemolytic complement (CH50), and the individual components C1q, C3, C4, C6, and C7 were measured in 29 pleural effusions. Of these, 18 were associated with carcinoma of the bronchus and 11 were non-malignant effusions including empyemas. The level of IgG was significantly lower in the malignant group when compared with non-malignant effusions. The usefulness of measurements of IgG with respect to malignant effusions associated with carcinoma of the bronchus requires an expanded study to show whether it has any real diagnostic value. There were no significant differences in other immunoglobulins, the CH50, and individual complement components between the two groups. The identification of total haemolytic activity in the majority of effusions in both groups indicates that all nine components of the classical pathway of complement, including macromolecules such as C1, can be present in pleural fluids.

Sarcoidosis and primary biliary cirrhosis with co-existing myositis.

In a small number of cases the co-existence of primary biliary cirrhosis and sarcoidosis is assumed from clinical serological and histological findings. A case of sarcoidosis is reported in which the M2 antibody, a highly specific marker for primary biliary cirrhosis, was detected. The patient also developed a severe myositis and a possible overlap syndrome is discussed.

Diffuse pleural thickening in asbestos workers: disability and lung function abnormalities.

Data from 37 asbestos workers with diffuse pleural fibrosis have been analysed. None had radiological evidence of asbestosis or physiological evidence of airflow obstruction. Forty per cent had breathlessness of MRC grade 3 or higher. Vital capacity was significantly lower in the subjects in the higher grades of breathlessness and in those with greater radiographic pleural abnormality. No relationship was demonstrated between dust exposure and either radiographic abnormality or grade of breathlessness. Diffuse pleural thickening, particularly when extensive and bilateral, causes functional impairment and disability.

Corticosteroids in chronic airways obstruction: can the patient's assessment be ignored?

In a study to examine the methods of assessing the response of patients with chronic airways obstruction to corticosteroids, 20 patients received a week of placebo tablets, followed by three weeks of prednisolone 30 mg daily. Subjective benefit was assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS), and objective changes by spirometry and an exercise test. Significant increases in FEV1 and in exercise performance were observed after steroid therapy. Changes in FVC correlated both with VAS score and with changes in exercise performance. Changes in FEV1 correlated with neither. The good correlation between the changes in a ventilatory function test (the FVC) and the patients' assessments of the drug suggests that the non-specific euphoriant effect of steroids does not eclipse their specific action on ventilatory function. Assessment of benefit should include a subjective assessment and changes in FVC and exercise performance. Changes in FEV1 appear to have less clinical relevance.

The effects of oral propranolol and metoprolol on lung function and exercise performance in chronic airways obstruction.

Fifteen men with chronic airways obstruction received a test dose of propranol 20 mg orally. Six developed increased breathlessness. Nine who tolerated the test dose received metoprolol (100 mg) and propranolol (80 mg) on different days in a randomized double-blind fashion. Changes in resting and exercise heart rate, spirometry and exercise tolerance were measured 1 and 6 hours later. The drugs had similar effects on heart rate. Propranolol, but not metoprolol, caused significant reduction in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate. Neither drug produced significant changes in forced vital capacity (FVC) or exercise performances in the group as a whole, although the range of changes was wide. Despite considerable reduction in FEV1 and FVC in some individuals, most reported no increase in symptoms. Changes in exercise tolerance at 1 hour correlated significantly with changes in FVC but not with those in FEV1. It is proposed that changes in FEV1, though of pharmacological interest, may be less relevant clinically than changes in FVC.

Cellulitis in complicated pneumococcal pneumonia.

Serious complications of pneumococcal pneumonia have become uncommon. This has been attributed to decline in pneumococcal infection (van Roy et al. 1971; Foy et al. 1975), but in this country it is more likely to be due to effective antibiotic therapy. We report a case of pneumococcal pneumonia with severe complications (including a very unusual one) which probably arose through antibiotic failure.

The distribution of pulmonary shadowing in farmer's lung.

Reports of the radiological features in farmer's lung are inconsistent. We have reviewed clinical and radiological findings in eight patients with farmer's lung in the acute and sub-acute phases. In the acute phase the main feature is transient widespread diffuse shadowing of air space consolidation. In the sub-acute phase, the predominant feature is fine nodular shadowing tending to involve either the upper half or upper two-thirds of the lungs with relative sparing of the basal segments. This is in accordance with both the pathophysiological behaviour of the inhaled particulate antigen and the subsequent distribution of pulmonary changes in chronic farmer's lung.

The rise and fall in incidence of malignant mesothelioma from a British Naval Dockyard, 1979-1999.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Britain is predicted to rise over the next 15-25 years because of past failure to protect the workforce against inhalation of asbestos. In British Naval dockyards, alternative insulation materials and respiratory protection were introduced from the mid-1960s. Aims This study was carried out to investigate the effects of these control measures on mesothelioma deaths in dockyard workers. METHODS: Cases of mesothelioma of the pleura and peritoneum between 1979 and 1999 in workers from the Devonport Naval Dockyard, south-west England, were sought from coroners' and medico-legal records. RESULTS: Three hundred and one cases were identified, 7% peritoneal. The peak incidence occurred in 1991 with 25 cases per annum (quadratic model fit R(2) = 74.2%, P < 0.001) and we predict that by 2003 the incidence will fall to fewer than five cases per annum. The mean time between first exposure and presentation was 48.5 years [95% confidence interval (CI) = 47.3-49.8], but this was significantly shorter in the more heavily exposed trades, when compared with the less heavily exposed (42 years, 95% CI = 39.0-45.0, versus 49.5 years, 95% CI = 48.2-50.9). Those with higher exposure were also at significantly greater risk of peritoneal disease (P < 0.023, Fisher's exact test). CONCLUSION: The reduction in incidence of mesothelioma is greater than can be accounted for by reduction in numbers of dockyard workers over the last 50 years. Changes in insulation materials and improved industrial hygiene measures introduced into the Devonport Dockyard from the mid-1960s have resulted in an earlier decline in the incidence of malignant mesothelioma than that predicted for the British workforce as a whole.

Twelve-minute walking test for assessing disability in chronic bronchitis.

The distance covered in 12 minutes' walking was used to test exercise tolerance in chronic bronchitis. The distance covered bore a poor relation to the forced expiratory volume in 1 second but a significant relation to the forced vital capacity and the maximum oxygen consumption and ventilation on a bicycle ergometer. The test may be a simple practical guide to everyday disability in chronic bronchitis.

Diaphragmatic breathing training and walking performance in chronic airways obstruction.

Eight patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis and moderate disability entered a pilot study of the effects of controlled diaphragmatic breathing. They received three weeks of placebo physiotherapy (shoulder exercises) followed by three weeks of instruction on controlled diaphragmatic breathing. No beneficial effects were observed on exercise performance or the perceived strain of exercise.

Churg-Strauss syndrome with critical endomyocardial fibrosis: 10 year survival after combined surgical and medical management.

A case is presented of the Churg-Strauss syndrome with hypereosinophilia and severe cardiac involvement, namely biventricular endomyocardial fibrosis and gross encroachment of the right ventricular cavity. The clinical picture was similar to Loeffler's syndrome and the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. Combined aggressive surgical and medical management led to full recovery and survival at 10 years. The good long term outcome is attributed to strict control of peripheral eosinophil count by oral corticosteroids. This case illustrates the damaging effects of hypereosinophilia on the heart.

Attitudes of 100 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to artificial ventilation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

UNLABELLED: One hundred clinically stable outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were surveyed at home by respiratory nurse specialists (RNS) about their views towards cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and in hospital ventilation. Written information about COPD, CPR and ventilation was provided and consent obtained. The breathing problem-based quality-of-life questionnaire (BP-QoL) was completed. The following information was recorded: age, sex, spirometry, hospital admissions, and antidepressant and oxygen usage in the previous year. Patients were then asked to imagine a scenario in which they were admitted to hospital and their chest condition deteriorated in spite of standard treatment. 'Having reached that stage would you wish to have noninvasive ventilation (NIV), invasive ventilation (IV) or CPR?' Three months later patients were asked to complete a postal patient satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: Of 100 patients 41 were male and the mean age was 74.1 years. Fifty four patients had a FEV1 <40% and 37 had a FEV1 between 40 and 59% predicted. Twenty-four patients were on long-term oxygen therapy, eight had taken antidepressants and 56 had been admitted to hospital in the previous year. Forty-eight patients wanted all additional treatments to be attempted if needed and 12 wanted none. Nineteen patients said 'no' for CPR and 10 said 'no' for CPR and IV. There was no significant statistical difference between the groups answering 'yes' or 'no'. Seventy-six per cent of patient satisfaction questionnaires were returned. All patients were satisfied with the way they had been approached and the information received, and 98% of them thought that this issue should be discussed with all patients. CONCLUSION: Attitudes towards resuscitation can be discussed with COPD patients by RNS without causing distress. Attitudes to resuscitation could not be predicted from parameters of respiratory disease severity or age.

Do post-take ward round proformas improve communication and influence quality of patient care?

The post-take ward round is a critical time for reviewing the initial history, examination and results, and the stage at which further treatment and investigations will be determined. However documentation of this ward round is often inadequate, so the benefits of decision making are lost. The documentation of 95 ward rounds was assessed for key items of information before and after the introduction of a proforma sheet. The introduction of the proforma led to a significant improvement in the documentation of a diagnosis, management plan, prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis, and resuscitation status (p<0.05), which will have a significant impact on patient care.

Dyspnoea, disability, and distance walked: comparison of estimates of exercise performance in respiratory disease.

Forty-four patients with airway obstruction and 18 with pulmonary infiltration were studied in an attempt to correlate exercise tolerance, as assessed by a simple walking test, with basic respiratory function values and differing subjective assessments of exercise performance. The distance walked in 12 minutes was significantly correlated with the response to a structured questionnaire and with the patients' assessment of performance using an oxygen-cost diagram. The distance walked did not agree well with simple subjective estimates obtained in the clinical history. It was better correlated with forced vital capacity than with forced expiratory volume in one second in both groups of patients, and was well correlated with carbon monoxide transfer factor in those with pulmonary infiltration. The scatter of results, however, was such that exercise performance could not usefully be predicted from the respiratory function values or from subjective assessments. Simple exercise tests are an essential part of assessing disability and response to treatment in patients with respiratory impairment.

Physical rehabilitation for the chronic bronchitic: results of a controlled trial of exercises in the home.

Twenty-four men with chronic bronchitis participated in a controlled trial of a physical training scheme. The training involved progressive stair-climbing exercises carried out over a three-month period unsupervised at home. The twelve men in the exercise group benefited significantly in terms of general well-being and reduced breathlessness. Their exercise tolerance increased significantly as judged by increased walking speed in a simple 12-minute walking test and by a greater work load tolerated in a progressive work load test on a bicycle ergometer. The mean stride length during the walking test increased significantly with training. No significant changes occurred in body weight, ventilatory function tests or heart rate on exercise. There were no important changes in the control group. It is not clear whether the improvements noted were due to physiological changes such as improved neuromuscular coordination producing a more efficient walking pattern or to predominantly psychological factors such as increased tolerance of dyspnoea. The study demonstrates that a simple training scheme which can be administered from a hospital clinic or family doctor's surgery is safe, feasible, and of benefit to the chronic bronchitic.

The ultrasound appearance of asbestos-related pleural plaques.

Twenty-five patients with a history of asbestos exposure and radiological evidence of pleural plaques were examined by ultrasound (US). Non-calcified pleural plaque appeared as a regular area of echo-poor tissue which was well defined adjacent to the diaphragm or lateral chest wall, and varied in thickness from 5 mm to 12 mm. Calcified plaques had echogenic and irregular anterior margins with acoustic shadowing beyond. They were associated with characteristic comet tail and straight line artefact.