Effect of volume of instillate on the diagnostic utility of bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan in patients with suspected chronic pulmonary aspergillosis-A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) galactomannan (GM) is commonly used to diagnose Aspergillus-related lung diseases. However, unlike serum GM, which is measured in undiluted blood, BAL-GM is estimated using variable aliquots and cumulative volume of instillates during bronchoscopy. OBJECTIVE: Since different studies have reported varying diagnostic accuracy and cut-offs for BAL-GM in CPA, we hypothesized that the total volume of instillate and 'order/label' of aliquots significantly affects the BAL-GM values, which was evaluated as part of this study. PATIENTS & METHODS: We obtained 250 BAL samples from 50 patients (five from each) with suspected chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. BAL fluid was collected after instilling sequential volumes of 40 mL of normal saline each for the first four labels and a fifth label was prepared by mixing 1 mL from each of the previous labels. The GM level of each label was measured by PLATELIA™ ASPERGILLUS Ag enzyme immunoassay. This study measured the discordance, level of agreement, diagnostic characteristics (sensitivity, specificity and AUROC) and best cut-offs for BAL-GM in the different aliquots of lavage fluid. RESULTS: The study population, classified into CPA (28%) and non-CPA (72%) groups, based on ERS/ESCMID criteria (excluding BAL-GM) were not different with respect to clinico-radiological characteristics. The discordance of BAL-GM positivity (using a cut-off of >1) between the serial labels for the same patient ranged between 10% and 22%, while the discordance between classification using BAL-GM positivity (using a cut-off of ≥1) and clinic-radio-microbiological classification ranged between 18% and 30%. The level of agreement for serial labels was at best fair (<0.6 for all except one 'label'). The AUROC for the serial samples ranged between 0.595 and 0.702, with the '40 mL and the 'mix' samples performing the best. The best BAL-GM cut-off also showed significant variation between serial labels of varying dilutions (Range:1.01 - 4.26). INTERPRETATION: This study highlights the variation in BAL-GM measured and the 'positivity' between different 'labels' of aliquots of BAL, with the first aliquot and the mixed sample showing the best performances for diagnosis of CPA. Future studies should attempt to 'standardise' the instilled volume for BAL-GM estimation to standardise the diagnostic yield.

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis incidence in newly detected pulmonary tuberculosis cases during follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is known to complicate patients with post-tubercular lung disease. However, some evidence suggests that CPA might co-exist in patients with newly-diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis (P.TB) at diagnosis and also develop during therapy. The objective of this study was to confirm the presence of CPA in newly diagnosed P.TB at baseline and at the end-of-TB-therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective longitudinal study included newly diagnosed P.TB patients, followed up at third month and end-of-TB-therapy with symptom assessment, anti-Aspergillus IgG antibody and imaging of chest for diagnosing CPA. RESULTS: We recruited 255 patients at baseline out of which 158 (62%) completed their follow-up. Anti-Aspergillus IgG was positive in 11.1% at baseline and 27.8% at end-of-TB-therapy. Overall, proven CPA was diagnosed in 7% at baseline and 14.5% at the end-of-TB-therapy. Around 6% patients had evidence of aspergilloma in CT chest at the end-of-TB-therapy. CONCLUSIONS: CPA can be present in newly diagnosed P.TB patients at diagnosis and also develop during anti-tubercular treatment. Patients with persistent symptoms or developing new symptoms during treatment for P.TB should be evaluated for CPA. Whether patients with concomitant P.TB and CPA, while receiving antitubercular therapy, need additional antifungal therapy, needs to be evaluated in future studies.

Exploring the Labyrinth: Imaging in Systemic Vasculitis.

Systemic vasculitis is an immune-mediated group of disorders broadly classified based on the involved vessel type. It has myriad clinical presentations, adding to the challenge of timely diagnosis and management. Thus, imaging has taken center stage in the diagnosis of these disorders as there is a lack of definitive clinical diagnostic markers. Various available imaging modalities can be used for diagnosis and follow-up on these patients. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has added a new dimension to the already existing problem of vasculitis. The virus has shown great affinity for the vascular endothelium, leading to multisystem organ vasculitis. There has been a spike in vasculitis cases in the COVID-19 pandemic era, thus necessitating more research and studies in this field for a better understanding of the disease. In this review, we wish to summarize the various imaging spectrums of classical systemic vasculitis along with the new addition of COVID-19-related vasculitis to the already long list.

Ultrasonography of the neck in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

INTRODUCTION: In resource-limited settings, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often goes undiagnosed as polysomnography (PSG) is expensive, time-consuming, and not readily available. Imaging studies of upper airway have been tried as alternatives to PSG to screen for OSA. However, racial differences in upper airway anatomy preclude generalizability of such studies. We sought to test the hypothesis that ultrasonography (USG), an inexpensive, readily available tool to study soft tissue structures of the upper airway, would have predictive value for OSA in South Asian people. METHODS: Adult patients with sleep-related complaints suspicious for OSA were taken for overnight PSG. After the PSG, consecutive patients with and without OSA were studied with submental ultrasonography to measure tongue base thickness (TBT) and lateral pharyngeal wall thickness (LPWT). RESULTS: Among 50 patients with OSA and 25 controls, mean age was 43.9 ± 11.4 years, and 39 were men. Patients with OSA had higher TBT (6.77 ± 0.63 cm vs 6.34 ± 0.54 cm, P value = 0.004) and higher LPWT (2.47 ± 0.60 cm vs 2.12 ± 0.26 cm, P value = 0.006) compared to patients without OSA. On multivariate analysis, TBT, LPWT, and neck circumference were identified as independent factors associated with OSA. These variables could identify patients with severe OSA with a sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 76%. CONCLUSION: Patients with OSA have higher tongue base thickness and lateral pharyngeal wall thickness proportionate to the severity of the disease, independent of BMI and neck circumference. These findings suggest that sub-mental ultrasonography may be useful to identify patients with severe OSA in resource-limited settings.

Cardiopulmonary Outcomes in Covid-19 Patients Discharged From a Tertiary Care Center: A Prospective Study.

To determine the cardiopulmonary changes in the survivors of acute COVID-19 infection at 3-6 month and 6-12 month. We followed up 53 patients out of which 28 (52%) had mild COVID-19 and 25 (48%) had severe COVID-19. The first follow-up was between 3 month after diagnosis up to 6 month and second follow-up between 6 and 12 month from the date of diagnosis of acute COVID-19. They were monitored using vital parameters, pulmonary function tests, echocardiography and a chest computed tomography (CT) scan. We found improvement in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) with a median of 52% of predicted and 80% of predicted at the first and second follow-up, respectively. There was improvement in the CTSS in severe group from 22 (18-24) to 12 (10-18; p-0.001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed increased odds of past severe disease with higher CTSS at follow-up (OR-1.7 [CI 1.14-2.77]; P = 0.01). Correlation was found between CTSS and DLCO at second follow-up (r2 = 0.36; p < 0.01). Most of patients recovered from COVID-19 but a subgroup of patients continued to have persistent radiological and pulmonary function abnormalities necessitating a structured follow-up.

COVID-19-associated subacute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: Though invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a well known complication of COVID-19 pneumonia, indolent forms of aspergillosis have been rarely described. METHODS: We prospectively collected the clinico-radio-microbiological data of 10 patients of subacute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (SAIA), who presented to our hospital with recent history of COVID-19 pneumonia along with cavitary lung disease, positive IgG (against Aspergillus) with or without positive respiratory samples for Aspergillus spp. RESULT: The mean age of presentation of SAIA was 50.7 ± 11.8 years. All the patients had recently recovered from severe COVID-19 illness with a mean duration of 29.2 ± 12 days from COVID-19 positivity. Cough was the predominant symptom seen in 8/10 (80%) patients followed by haemoptysis. 7/10 (70%) patients were known diabetic. While serum galactomannan was positive in 5/9 patients (55.5%), fungal culture was positive in 2/7 patients (28.5%) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Aspergillus was positive in three patients. Eight (80%) patients presented with a single cavitary lesion; pseudoaneurysm of pulmonary artery was seen in two patients and post-COVID-19 changes were seen in all patients. All patients were treated with voriconazole, out of which four (40%) patients died during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: SAIA should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cavitating lung lesions in patients with recent history of COVID-19 in the background of steroid use with or without pre-existing diabetes.

Ingestion poisoning related lung injury- a pictorial review.

Poison ingestion is a medical emergency requiring immediate care in the emergency department. Respiratory symptoms with ingested poisons can occur due to aspiration, cardiopulmonary effects, or direct lung toxicity due to injury of the alveolar epithelium. Chest imaging (chest radiographs/CT) is usually performed in the emergency setting to evaluate such symptoms. It is often impossible to elicit the nature of the poison ingested by the patients due to their unconscious state. Identification of the culprit poison can expedite the patient's management towards a specific antidote or help understand the underlying mechanism causing the pulmonary symptoms. The imaging manifestations depend on the underlying mechanisms, varying for each ingested poison, forming an imaging signature which has not been adequately discussed in existing literature. Poisons like paraquat and organophosphate are important to differentiate as indiscriminate use of oxygen therapy in the former can exacerbate the lung injury caused by redox cycling. In this pictorial assay, we present the chest imaging spectrum of commonly ingested poisons, and further suggest algorithmic approach towards identification of common poisons based on their chest imaging.

Retrospective analysis of IgG4-related disease cases at a tertiary care centre in India.

Objectives: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with prominent fibrosis. This retrospective analysis was undertaken to study the clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics of patients with extra-pancreatic IgG4-RD and their response to treatment at a tertiary care centre located in northern India. Material and methods: Patient data from our centre between January 2017 and January 2021 were reviewed. Probable/definite IgG4-RD cases were included in the analysis. Results: A total of 14 cases were identified with a median age of 39 years (range 19-56 years). There were 10 males and 4 females. All patients presented with slowly progressive soft tissue swellings with pain/discomfort related to local mass effect. The median delay in diagnosis was 9.5 months (range 2-72 months). Cross-sectional imaging showed soft tissue masses in all cases. All contrast-enhanced studies (n = 7) showed enhancement on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scan. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-avidity was observed in 8 of 9 (88.9%) cases. Biopsies performed in 12 of these were classified as definite in 8 and possible IgG4-RD in 4 cases. Patients were treated with a median dose of 1 mg/kg/day (range 0.5-1 mg/kg/day) prednisolone. Steroids were successfully tapered in all 12 cases with 41.6% (5 of 12) being off corticosteroids at a median follow-up of 10 months (range 0-18 months). Two patients were lost to follow-up. Conclusions: IgG4-related disease is a chronic illness with a wide spectrum of manifestations, in which the diagnosis is often delayed, but it shows an excellent response to treatment. Efforts must be made to increase awareness among physicians about this disease to institute appropriate treatment as early as possible.

An open-label non-inferiority randomised control trial comparing nebulised amphotericin B with oral itraconazole in patients with pulmonary aspergilloma.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary aspergilloma (PA) is a common complication seen in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae. Antifungal therapy, including oral azoles, is commonly used though only surgical resection offers curative benefit. Local administration of amphotericin B, like intracavitary instillation, has been effective in aspergilloma patients though nebulised amphotericin B (nAB) has never been formally assessed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective, non-inferior, open-label, randomised control trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nebulised amphotericin B compared to oral itraconazole therapy in the treatment of PA. PATIENTS/METHODS: Diagnosed cases of PA (n=33) were randomised into the control group receiving oral itraconazole (n=18) and intervention group receiving nebulised amphotericin B (n = 15). Response to treatment was assessed both clinically and radiologically at the end 6 months. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The number of patients showing overall improvement at the end of 6 months in the control arm(oral itraconazole) vs intervention arm(nebulised amphotericin B) was 65% (95% CI 38.3-85.8) and 67%(95% CI 38.4%-88.2%), respectively, in the intention-to-treat and 79% (95% CI 49.2%-95.3%), and 65% (95% CI 38.4%-88.2%), respectively, in the per-protocol analysis. While there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control arm in both the analyses, non-inferiority was shown in the per-protocol but not in the intention-to-treat analysis. No major adverse events were noted in either group; however, a significant proportion of patients receiving nAB reported minor cough (40%), which, however, did not lead to discontinuation of therapy in any patients. Nebulised amphotericin B can be an effective therapeutic option for pulmonary aspergilloma patients.

Comparison of Non-Operative Mesotherapy and Surgery in the Management of Superficial Lipomas.

BACKGROUND: Lipomas are benign adipocytic tumours. Surgical excision is the gold standard for treating such lipomas, but it results in unaesthetic scarring. METHODS: A total of 126 patients were randomised into two groups. The patients in Group A underwent mesotherapy (n = 66) and those in Group B underwent surgery (n = 60). The patients in Group A group received six sessions of mesotherapy treatment at 2-week intervals. Both groups were followed up for 12 weeks, during which they were assessed for complications arising from treatment, reduction of the size of the lipoma and cosmetic outcomes. RESULTS: The overall mean age of the patients was 32.93 (± 10.1) years old and the mean volume of the lipomas was 2.29 (± 3.8) mL. A 55.86% (P = 0.0032) mean reduction in the volume of lipomas was noted in the patients who received mesotherapy, while one patient showed a gain of 16% by volume. The patients in Group A (cosmetic score ≥ 4: 63%) were happier with the treatment than those in Group B (cosmetic score ≥ 4: 21%). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that mesotherapy modestly reduces the volume of lipomas with very few and minor complications and excellent cosmetic outcomes.

Case 283: Breast Filariasis.

History A 44-year-old woman who was a resident of Bihar, which is a state in eastern India, presented to the surgical outpatient department of our hospital with a history of gradually increasing swelling of the right breast associated with redness, pain, and itching over the past month. She reported a general sense of malaise and experienced episodes of chills over the past 6 months; however, she had no documented fever. There was no history of breast trauma. No history suggestive of a possible hypercoagulable state could be elicited (she was a nonsmoker, had undergone uncomplicated normal vaginal delivery 15 years earlier, was not taking oral contraceptives, and had no history to suggest past deep venous thrombosis). General physical examination findings were unremarkable. On local examination, she was found to have diffuse enlargement of the right breast. The skin over the lateral part of the breast was erythematous and showed the presence of prominent superficial veins. On palpation, few ill-defined firm mobile masses were found in the upper outer quadrant with overlying skin induration. No skin ulceration or nipple discharge was present. Few firm and discrete lymph nodes were palpable in the right axilla. Laboratory investigations showed mild anemia (hemoglobin level, 10 g/dL; normal range, 12-15 g/dL), a total leukocyte count of 14 000 cells per microliter (14 cells × 109/L) (normal range, 4500-11 000 cells per microliter [4.5-11 cells × 109/L]), a normal differential leukocyte count (74% neutrophils [normal range, 40%-80%], 24% lymphocytes [normal range, 20%-40%], and 2% eosinophils [normal range, 1%-4%]), and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 31 mm per hour (normal range, 0-29 mm per hour). She underwent both mammography and US. Real-time US showed mobile structures on the series of US images obtained seconds apart. On the basis of the imaging findings, US-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology was performed to confirm the diagnosis, and appropriate treatment was instituted.

Case 283.

History A 44-year-old woman who was a resident of Bihar, which is a state in eastern India, presented to the surgical outpatient department of our hospital with a history of gradually increasing swelling of the right breast associated with redness, pain, and itching over the past month (Fig 1). She reported a general sense of malaise and experienced episodes of chills over the past 6 months; however, she had no documented fever. There was no history of breast trauma. No history suggestive of a possible hypercoagulable state could be elicited (she was a nonsmoker, had undergone uncomplicated normal vaginal delivery 15 years earlier, was not taking oral contraceptives, and had no history to suggest past deep venous thrombosis). General physical examination findings were unremarkable. On local examination, she was found to have diffuse enlargement of the right breast. The skin over the lateral part of the breast was erythematous and showed the presence of prominent superficial veins. On palpation, few ill-defined firm mobile masses were found in the upper outer quadrant with overlying skin induration. No skin ulceration or nipple discharge was present. Few firm and discrete lymph nodes were palpable in the right axilla. Laboratory investigations showed mild anemia (hemoglobin level, 10 g/dL; normal range, 12-15 g/dL), a total leukocyte count of 14 000 cells per microliter (14 cells × 109/L) (normal range, 4500-11 000 cells per microliter [4.5-11 cells × 109/L]), a normal differential leukocyte count (74% neutrophils [normal range, 40%-80%], 24% lymphocytes [normal range, 20%-40%], and 2% eosinophils [normal range, 1%-4%]), and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 31 mm per hour (normal range, 0-29 mm per hour). She underwent both mammography (Fig 2) and US (Fig 3). Real-time US showed mobile structures on the series of US images obtained seconds apart (Fig 4). On the basis of the imaging findings, US-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology was performed to confirm the diagnosis, and appropriate treatment was instituted.

Laparoscopic repair of recurrent traumatic diaphragmatic hernia.

Laparoscopic repair of recurrent diaphragmatic hernia is infrequently reported. We report successful laparoscopic management of such a case in a 23-year-old male who presented with recurrent vomiting and hiccoughs. He had suffered a gun-shot injury to the chest 2 years ago, following which a primary diaphragmatic repair was done by laparotomy and thoracotomy. The patient developed recurrent left diaphragmatic hernia, which was repaired using polypropylene mesh using a laparoscopic approach. At 6 months of follow-up, the patient is doing well, and his symptoms have resolved. Laparoscopic repair of recurrent diaphragmatic hernia is feasible.

Undiagnosed Fever in a TB Contact Patient: An Unusual Cause.

IgG4-Related Disease(IgG4-RD) is a rare disease that can present with myriad clinical features. We report a tuberculosis contact case who presented with fever and constitutional complaints with imaging evidence of paravertebral and retroperitoneal soft tissue thickening. Further workup, including tissue biopsy ruled out tuberculosis and revealed diagnosis to be IgG4-related disease. Patient was started on oral steroids, which led to symptomatic improvement. In a TB endemic country such as ours, for a patient presenting with pleural and/or peritoneal fibrosis, a differential diagnosis of IgG4-RD must be kept.

Transplantation of live allograft kidney with double ureter: A case report and review of literature.

Duplication of ureter is an uncommon anomaly with a reported incidence of 0.6%-1%. It can be either complete or a partial duplication. We present a case of live-related renal transplant in which complete duplication of ureter was found as a surprise during bench preparation of the donor kidney, which was reported as partial duplication on the pre-operative multidetector computed tomography. A common ostium was made from the two ureters and was anastomosed to the bladder. At 2-months follow-up, the patient has good graft function and no evidence of ureteric complications. Since double ureter does not seem to increase urological complications, such donors should not be rejected.

A Catastrophic Presentation of Enteric Fever with Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.

A 19 year old boy presented to the emergency room with fever of one week duration along with bleeding manifestations, few gastrointestinal symptoms, tachycardia, tachypnea and subtle encephalitic features. He was worked up for the usual causes of short duration fever, which proved inconclusive. In view of clinical worsening and cytopenias, a careful investigation process helped us in ruling out common etiologies for such a fever, alongwith unearthing the possibility of an underlying secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis which led to severe thrombocytopenia and persistent high grade pyrexia. Widal test was positive in high titres, and patient was continued with antibiotics. Prompt treatment led to the uneventful recovery of the patient without any sequelae. Bleeding manifestations subsided, patient had rapid clinical improvement and was discharged after completing the course of antibiotics.

An Interesting Case of Recurrent Pyelonephritis.

A 35-year-old male presented with repeated episodes of fever and abdominal pain of 3-month duration. He had been hospitalized twice with similar complaints in the past 3-month. He was diagnosed as pyelonephritis and managed with intravenous antibiotics. However, fever recurred after ten days of discharge from the hospital. With these complaints, he was referred to the Department of Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi. After evaluation, he was diagnosed as pyelonephritis with right sided consolidation and was started on broad spectrum antibiotics. After a transient initial improvement, his dyspnea worsened, fever recurred and he developed a tender submandibular abscess. Further evaluation for the actual focus of infection, revealed a small mass attached to the right coronary aortic cusp on transthoracic ECHO. Diagnosis of native Aortic valve endocarditis was made and suitably treated. The patient became afebrile on the 8th day of therapy and was discharged after 20-day. He is doing well on subsequent follow-up.

Pyomyositis Complicated by Deep Venous Thrombosis - A Unique Case of Reverse Lemierre's Syndrome.

We report a case of a young individual who presented with fever and swelling of right upper and lower limbs for 3 weeks. Subsequently he developed shortness of breath and decreased urine output and had to be mechanically ventilated. Ultrasound screening of the lower limb had shown deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and thus the diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) seemed probable. However the workup for PTE was negative and patient's fever continued and his condition deteriorated. Evaluation for an infective locus led to the diagnosis of pyomyositis and DVT appeared to have developed secondary to the muscle inflammation as a part of Reverse Lemierre's syndrome. Thus this case highlights the importance of considering this diagnosis in a similar setting and not to ascribe every case of respiratory failure in a background of DVT to be due to PTE.

Case control study: magnetic resonance spectroscopy of brain in HIV infected patients.

BACKGROUND: In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) studies on brain in HIV infected patients have shown significant alteration in neuro-biochemicals. METHODS: In this study, we measured the neuro-biochemical metabolites from the left frontal white matter (FWM) and left basal ganglia (BG) caudate head nucleus in 71 subjects that include 30 healthy controls, 20 asymptomatic HIV and 21 HIV patients with CNS lesion. Proton MR spectra were acquired at 3 T MRI system and the concentration (institutional units) of tNAA (N-acetylaspartate, NAA + N-acetylaspartylglutamate, NAAG), tCr (Creatine, Cr + phosphocreatine, PCr), choline containing compounds (tCho), glutamate + glutamine (Glx) and lipid and macromolecules at 0.9 ppm were determined using LC Model. RESULTS: In BG, the concentration of tNAA (6.71 ± 0.64) was decreased and in FWM, the concentration of Glx (20.4 ± 7.8), tCr (9.14 ± 3.04) and lipid and macromolecules at 0.9 ppm (8.69 ± 2.96) were increased in HIV patients with CNS lesion. In healthy controls, the concentration of tNAA in BG was 7.31 ± 0.47 and concentration of Glx, tCr and lipid and macromolecules in FWM were 15.0 ± 6.06, 6.95 ± 2.56, 5.59 ± 1.56, respectively. CONCLUSION: Reduced tNAA in BG suggests neuronal loss in HIV patients with CNS lesion while increased Glx in FWM may suggest excito-toxicity. In addition, increased levels of tCr in FWM of HIV patients were observed. The study indicates region specific metabolic changes in tNAA, tCr and Glx in brain of HIV infected patients.

Cavitary Lung Lesions in a Difficult-To-Treat Asthma Patient.

We describe an interesting case of severe asthma who was not showing satisfactory response to standard treatment. Investigations revealed him to be suffering from allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). After starting systemic steroids he showed marked improvement initially only to have recurrent symptoms within a year. He was investigated further and found to have chronic pulmonary aspergillosis in the form of chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA) and aspergilloma as also the presence of selective IgA deficiency.