Decision-making in diagnosis of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) lymphomas of the lung are uncommon, and diagnosis is often delayed due to the indolent clinical course. Often, adequate samples are difficult to obtain by bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy alone. This retrospective study reviewed the diagnosis and treatment of BALT lymphoma cases at our institution over the course of 19 years. Most patients were white, women, and >50 years old; the mean Charlson Comorbidity Index at the time of diagnosis was 6. Seven of 12 patients presented with solitary nodules or multiple nodules. For six cases, initial modalities were nondiagnostic; four subsequently underwent surgical biopsy, one underwent computed tomography-guided biopsy, and one underwent navigational bronchoscopy for final diagnosis of BALT lymphoma. Ultimately, 55% of cases were diagnosed with nonsurgical biopsy. One patient suffered a pneumothorax related to the initial diagnostic attempt. Ten patients received chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery, and 11 of the 12 are still alive. Our data confirm the previously described indolent behavior of BALT lymphomas and the challenges related to diagnosis. While previous studies have suggested surgical biopsy as the primary modality for obtaining histopathology, navigational bronchoscopy could serve as a safer alternative.

Corticosteroid Dosing and Glucose Levels in COPD Patients Are Not Associated with Increased Readmissions.

INTRODUCTION: Hospital admissions and readmissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations are associated with increased mortality and higher cost. The management of exacerbations with a shortened course of systemic corticosteroids has similar efficacy as compared to longer steroid courses, but actual overall steroid dose given is still variable. The outcomes associated with steroid side effects, such as hyperglycemia, need further evaluation. We hypothesized that the use of higher doses of corticosteroids, and the subsequent hyperglycemia, contributes to readmission. METHODS: This is a retrospective study at a tertiary care referral center in central Texas between February 2014 and July 2016. Daily corticosteroid dose, blood glucose levels, and readmission rates at 30 and 31-90 days were recorded. Sample characteristics are described using descriptive statistics. A chi-square test or student's t-test were used to test for associations in bivariate comparisons. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the association between readmission rate and demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: There were 1120 patients admitted for COPD exacerbation between February 2014 and July 2016. A total of 57% were female, mean age was 69 years (standard deviation [SD] 12), and average body mass index (BMI) was 29.4 (SD 9.8). Of the total, 349 (31%) had diabetes prior to admission. The 30-day readmission rate was 16%, and the readmission rate from 31-90 days was 14%. The average prednisone equivalent dose per day during hospitalization was 86 mg (SD 52). A multivariable logistic regression model did not show any significant association between readmission and average daily glucose, high maximum glucose (>180 mg/dL on any reading), or prednisone equivalent administered per day. CONCLUSION: Corticosteroid dose and hyperglycemia were not associated with an increased 30-day or 31-90-day readmission rate after COPD exacerbation discharge. In addition, using higher doses of corticosteroids instead of standard-of-care (prednisone 40 mg per day for a 5-day period) did not appear to affect the readmission rate in this cohort.

Predictors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on a Home Sleep Apnea Test After a Negative Attended Polysomnography.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: A home sleep apnea test (HSAT) is an acceptable alternative to polysomnography (PSG) for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with high pretest probability without certain comorbidities, such as severe pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, or neuromuscular weakness. Current guidelines recommend repeat in-laborataory PSG in those with an initial negative PSG and high clinical suspicion for OSA. This retrospective study evaluated predictors of OSA on HSAT in patients who had a negative PSG. METHODS: Electronic medical records were reviewed on 206 patients who underwent an in-laboratory PSG followed by HSAT at the Baylor Scott and White Sleep Institute. Of these patients, 141 were included in the study. Clinical patient characteristics, PSG data, and HSAT data were obtained. RESULTS: A total of 141 patients had a negative PSG and underwent a subsequent HSAT. Of these patients, 83.7% had a positive diagnosis on HSAT, as defined by respiratory event index greater than or equal to 5 events/h, using the 4% oxygen desaturation criteria, (64.5% mild, 17.7% moderate, 1.4% severe) and 16.3% had a negative HSAT. Older age and hypertension predicted the diagnosis of OSA made on HSAT in patients with an initial negative PSG. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study illustrates that there are patients for whom PSG gave a false-negative study. Patients who had negative PSG and positive HSAT are more likely to be older and have the diagnosis of hypertension. Sleep physicians may consider repeat testing with HSAT in patients with a negative PSG and clinical symptoms of OSA. COMMENTARY: A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 1839.

Mediastinitis Following Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration.

Mediastinitis is a rare complication of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). Recent reports of infectious complications following EBUS-TBNA involved oropharyngeal bacteria. Here, we report 2 unusual cases of post-EBUS-TBNA mediastinitis involving Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which were likely the result of direct inoculation of the organisms at the time of transbronchial needle aspiration. The first case was successfully treated with computed tomography-guided drainage and antibiotics, whereas the second case had >50% distal tracheal obstruction and near total occlusion of the left main stem bronchus, requiring rigid bronchoscopy, stent placement, debulking, and antibiotics. Review of literature suggests that the isolated pathogens are rare in this setting and are most likely not related to oropharyngeal contamination during bronchoscope insertion. Active bronchitis should be considered an additional risk factor for EBUS-TBNA-induced mediastinitis. We suggest possible methods to decrease the risk of this serious postprocedure complication. It is important to be vigilant about the possibility of mediastinitis in patients that undergo EBUS-TBNA. Fever and respiratory symptoms should lower the threshold for ordering a computed tomography chest for early detection and management. Our patients did not require thoracic surgery for the management of the mediastinitis.

Clinical Utility of Testing for Legionella Pneumonia in Central Texas.

RATIONALE: Legionella pneumophila is an uncommon cause of community-acquired pneumonia in the south central region of the United States, and regular testing may not be cost effective in areas of low incidence. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence of Legionella in central Texas and to determine the cost effectiveness of Legionella urinary antigen testing. METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients admitted with pneumonia between January 2001 and December 2013. Patients were identified by Binax Legionella urinary antigen and International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision codes. Demographic characteristics and clinical history of the confirmed Legionella pneumonia cases were obtained by chart review. Descriptive statistics were used to describe patient characteristics. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Over 12 years, 5,807 patients with 11,377 admissions for pneumonia were tested for Legionella urinary antigen. A positive Legionella urinary antigen was found in 17 patients. Cumulative incidence during the study period was 0.23%. Among the Legionella-positive patients, intensive care unit admission and median length of stay were 58.8% and 8.5 days, respectively. Most patients (64.7%) met American Thoracic Society criteria for severe pneumonia. All patients empirically received either a macrolide or fluoroquinolone covering Legionella. There were two in-hospital and three total 90-day deaths in those with a positive urinary antigen. The estimated cost of screening this population with Legionella urinary antigen was $214,438 over 13 years. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals the low incidence of Legionella pneumonia in central Texas. Use of guideline-concordant antibiotic treatment provides coverage for Legionella. We speculate that testing in a low-prevalence area would not influence outcomes or be cost effective.

Pancoast's syndrome secondary to infectious etiologies: a not so uncommon occurrence.

Pancoast's syndrome includes Horner's syndrome, atrophy of the hand muscles and shoulder, axilla or arm pain. This syndrome is caused by an apical thoracic lesion, most commonly a bronchogenic carcinoma, which invades the brachial plexus roots and the cervicothoracic sympathetic chain. Several nonmalignant causes are documented in the literature with infection being one. After a case of Pancoast syndrome caused by a methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus empyema, we began a systematic search of the literature to identify case reports/series of Pancoast syndrome secondary to infection. Our search was limited to the English language and performed using MEDLINE. Thirty-one cases of Pancoast's syndrome secondary to infectious causes were found in our review of the literature. The infectious causes identified were bacterial, fungal and parasitic organisms; however, no single organism could be identified as the most prevalent. Our review represents the most complete summation of individual case reports on this subject and highlights clinical characteristics of each presentation and the organisms that were encountered. This number of cases of Pancoast's syndrome secondary to infectious causes indicates that this association may be more common than previously reported.

Hypoxemia secondary to right-to-left interatrial shunt through a patent foramen ovale in a patient with an elevated right hemidiaphragm.

Though uncommon, right-to-left shunt through a patent foramen ovale with normal right-side pressure and with a normal interatrial pressure gradient has been reported. The speculated pathophysiology is attributed to directional blood flow streaming from the vena cava to the left atrium. Hypoxemia secondary to right-to-left shunt with normal pulmonary artery pressure has been extensively documented after right pneumonectomy. Five prior cases have documented hypoxemia secondary to a right-to-left shunt through a patent foramen ovale in the presence of an elevated right hemidiaphragm. This is the sixth documented case of right-to-left shunt through a patent foramen ovale in the presence of an elevated right hemidiaphragm with a similar presentation in which closure of the patent foramen ovale resulted in resolution of hypoxemia.

CPAP compliance: video education may help!

BACKGROUND: CPAP remains the treatment of choice for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS), but compliance with CPAP is poor. Of many interventions tried to improve CPAP compliance, only education and humidification have been shown to be of benefit. Our purpose was to develop and pilot test a video to enhance patient understanding of obstructive sleep apnea and of the purpose, logistics, and benefits of CPAP use in patients newly diagnosed with OSAHS. A patient's CPAP compliance in the first few weeks after starting its use is predictive of long-term compliance with CPAP treatment. It is imperative that patients grasp at the outset both the severity of OSAHS and the effectiveness of CPAP therapy. METHODS: An educational video script was written based on recommendations for patient educational video materials and covering identified misconceptions about OSAHS and perceived barriers to CPAP use. The videotape is 15 min in length and features two middle-aged males, one African-American and one Euro-American, discussing OSAHS and CPAP in a factory break room. RESULTS: In a randomized two-group design with a control group, patients with newly diagnosed OSAHS, and who viewed the CPAP educational video on their first clinic, were significantly more likely to use their machine and to return for a 1-month clinic visit than were those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Viewing of a patient education video at the initial visit was found to significantly improve the rate of return for the follow-up visit.

Sleep and the endocrine system: new associations to old diseases.

Sleep and sleep disorders play a prominent role in hormone regulation. Given that sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are thought to result from obesity, it has been assumed that when the two coexist, the diabetes was caused by the obesity. However, new data has shed light on the effects that SDB, sleep deprivation, and snoring have on glucose regulation. It now appears that in addition to causing daytime drowsiness, cardiovascular disease, mood and memory disturbances, impotence, and car wrecks, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also promotes insulin resistance. Though data is still sketchy on the optimum management of coexisting DM and OSA, large-scale studies will most likely prove that homeostatic glucose control in patients with sleep apnea will require aggressive treatment of their SDB.