Airway stenting for liberation from positive pressure ventilation in patients with central airway obstruction presenting with acute respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND: Central airway obstruction (CAO) can lead to acute respiratory failure (RF) necessitating positive pressure ventilation (PPV). The efficacy of airway stenting to aid liberation from PPV in patients with severe acute RF has been scarcely published. We present a systematic review and our recent experience. METHODS: A systematic review of PubMed was performed, and a retrospective review of cases performed at our two institutions from 2018 to 2022 in adult patients who needed stent insertion for extrinsic or mixed CAO complicated by RF necessitating PPV. RESULTS: Fifteen studies were identified with a total of 156 patients. The weighted mean of successful liberation from PPV post-stenting was 84.5% and the median survival was 127.9 days. Our retrospective series included a total of 24 patients. The most common etiology was malignant CAO (83%). The types of PPV used included high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) (21%), non-invasive ventilation (NIV) (17%) and Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (62%). The overall rate of successful liberation from PPV was 79%, with 55% of HFNC and NIV cases being liberated immediately post-procedure. The median survival of the patients with MCAO that were successfully liberated from PPV was 74 days (n = 16, range 3-893 days), and for those with that failed to be liberated from PPV, it was 22 days (n = 4, range 9-26 days). CONCLUSION: In patients presenting with acute RF from extrinsic or mixed morphology CAO requiring PPV, airway stenting can successfully liberate most from the PPV. This may allow patients to receive pathology-directed treatment and better end-of-life care.

Central Sleep Apnea in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease Taking P2Y12 Inhibitors.

ABSTRACT: Central sleep apnea (CSA) is common in patients with heart failure. Recent studies link ticagrelor use with CSA. We aimed to evaluate CSA prevalence in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and whether ticagrelor use is associated with CSA. We reviewed consecutive patients with CHD who underwent a polysomnography (PSG) test over a 5-year period from 3 sleep centers. We sampled patients who were on ticagrelor or clopidogrel during a PSG test at a 1:4 ticagrelor:clopidogrel ratio. Patients with an active opioid prescription during PSG test were excluded. Age, left ventricle (LV) dysfunction, and P2Y12 inhibitor use were included in a multivariate logistic regression. A total of 135 patients were included with 26 on ticagrelor and 109 on clopidogrel (age 64.1 ± 11.4, 32% male). High CSA burden (12%) and strict CSA (4.4%) were more common in patients on ticagrelor than in those on clopidogrel (27% vs. 8.3% and 10.0% vs. 1.8%). Ticagrelor use (vs. clopidogrel) was associated with high CSA burden (OR 3.53, 95% CI 1.04-12.9, P = 0.039) and trended toward significance for strict CSA (OR 6.32, 95% CI 1.03-51.4, P = 0.052) when adjusting for age and LV dysfunction. In an additional analysis also adjusting for history of atrial fibrillation, ticagrelor use and strict CSA became significantly associated (OR 10.0, 95% CI 1.32-117, P = 0.035). CSA was uncommon in patients with CHD undergoing sleep studies. Ticagrelor use (vs. clopidogrel) was associated with high CSA burden and trended toward significance for strict CSA.

Endobronchial lipoma.

Endobronchial lipomas are rare benign lung tumors that can cause bronchial obstruction and parenchymal damage. While an uncommon etiology, they are often misdiagnosed due to a clinical presentation similar to obstructive pulmonary pathologies such as COPD and asthma. Upon review of English-language literature, under 50 cases of endobronchial lipomas were documented in the prior 10 years (2011-2021). There are no clear guidelines regarding the management of this particular entity, but typically interventional debulking is the treatment of choice. Here we present another unique case of endobronchial lipoma along with our diagnostic and therapeutic methodology. The patient underwent bronchoscopic debulking via a cryotherapy probe. Based on the histopathologic analysis, a diagnosis of endobronchial lipoma was made. Endobronchial lipomas must remain in any clinician's differential when a patient presents with dyspnea. We report the unique location of this lipoma based on our literature review and the importance of investigating endobronchial lesions due to a possible diagnosis of endobronchial lipoma.

Endobronchial lipoma

ABSTRACT Endobronchial lipomas are rare benign lung tumors that can cause bronchial obstruction and parenchymal damage. While an uncommon etiology, they are often misdiagnosed due to a clinical presentation similar to obstructive pulmonary pathologies such as COPD and asthma. Upon review of English-language literature, under 50 cases of endobronchial lipomas were documented in the prior 10 years (2011-2021). There are no clear guidelines regarding the management of this particular entity, but typically interventional debulking is the treatment of choice. Here we present another unique case of endobronchial lipoma along with our diagnostic and therapeutic methodology. The patient underwent bronchoscopic debulking via a cryotherapy probe. Based on the histopathologic analysis, a diagnosis of endobronchial lipoma was made. Endobronchial lipomas must remain in any clinician's differential when a patient presents with dyspnea. We report the unique location of this lipoma based on our literature review and the importance of investigating endobronchial lesions due to a possible diagnosis of endobronchial lipoma.

Smoky Diagnosis: Importance of Patient History in Vaping Associated Lung Injury.

E-cigarette or vaping use associated lung injury (EVALI) recently became a common cause of respiratory illness. The pathophysiology of EVALI is relatively unknown, and thus the disease remains a diagnosis of exclusion. There are no specific tests or markers that exist, although there is some belief that Vitamin E acetate is strongly linked to the increase in EVALI cases. Immediate recognition of EVALI patients is critical in order to reducing severe outcomes. For these cases, the importance of a complete patient interview is emphasized and necessary for diagnosis. We present a case of a young patient presenting with hypoxic respiratory failure due to EVALI, in which diagnosis was delayed due to incomplete patient history.

Primary Neurosarcoidosis Mimicking Gallbladder Pathology.

A 40-year-old African American male with long standing headaches and unintentional weight loss presented with nausea, vomiting, and blurry vision. Laboratory findings include hyponatremia and mildly raised liver enzymes. He underwent cholecystectomy six months prior for unexplained nausea and vomiting, which in hindsight was likely neurologic-induced vomiting from neurosarcoidosis. Brain imaging revealed diffuse, leptomeningeal, nodular enhancement involving the brain, brainstem, and upper cervical spinal cord. Further work up showed extensive lymphadenopathy above and below the diaphragm, solitary liver lesion, and multiple lytic lesions involving bones. Iliac spine biopsy revealed ill-defined, non-caseating granulomas with giant cell reaction infiltrating bone fragments. Acid-fast bacilli and fungal stains were negative. Patient was treated with steroids. Diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis is challenging in the absence of physical signs and symptoms. However, radiological and pathological correlation in clinical suspicion of sarcoidosis is helpful in more accurate diagnosis and timely management of the patient.

Cocaine-induced pulmonary complications: A diagnosis of waiting and watching.

Pulmonary complications of cocaine among users are common. Manifestations include lung congestion, intra-alveolar edema, and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH). Direct cellular toxicity, eosinophilia, barotrauma, and vasoactive effects of cocaine are believed to induce DAH. We present a rare case of cocaine-associated focal alveolar hemorrhage mimicking malignancy on imaging. Initially contemplated biopsy was avoided based on rapid growth of concerning lung lesion, with subsequent near resolution on follow-up. This case illustrates the importance of epidemiologic and temporal multimodality correlation when evaluating indeterminate lung lesions.

Mystery in the mediastinum: Rare case of indolent primary thoracic amyloids.

A 53-year-old African American male smoker presented with epigastric pain, tarry stools, and laboratory results indicative of acute pancreatitis. Chest X-ray showed a right perihilar mass with pleural effusion. Computed tomography scan showed multiple large right paratracheal and hilar nodes with internal calcification. The patient underwent a fiberoptic bronchoscopy with biopsies which were negative for malignancy. Mediastinoscopy was performed and revealed amyloidosis. Evaluation for multiple myeloma showed elevated kappa and lambda light chains and diffuse polyclonal gammopathy, but there was no monoclonal spike on serum protein electrophoresis. Bone marrow and abdominal fat pad were negative for amyloid, and the patient continues to lack chronic underlying systemic disease with no symptoms on cardiac or pulmonary examination.

Diagnosis and Management of Rare Siliconomas in an HIV Patient.

Siliconomas are rare conditions stemming from uses of silicone injections for soft tissue augmentation, most commonly in the breast and buttocks areas. Siliconomas are known to present with suspicious morphology that mimics cases of embolism or systemic metastasis as the silicone travels through blood and lymphatics. We present the case of a 45-year-old HIV-positive male who presented with siliconomas in the breast region, chest heaviness, shortness of breath, dyspnea, and a physical exam showing gynecomastia. The patient denied any surgeries or injections around his chest. Further imaging showed abnormal fat deposition in the chest and possible metastatic lymphadenopathy to axillary, supraclavicular, and mammillary lymph nodes. Although the complications arising from silicone injections are well documented, the pathogenesis remains unknown, leaving a narrow range of therapeutic options. Despite these shortcomings, diagnostic imaging tools have shown to be vital in the diagnosis and localization of suspected siliconomas.

Small cell carcinoma of the lung in a patient with previously treated synchronous adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

A 66-year-old Caucasian female with a 40-pack-year history of smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presented for follow-up of synchronous multiple primary lung cancers: Stage IB left upper lobe adenocarcinoma and Stage IA right middle lobe (RML) squamous cell carcinoma. The patient was treated with left upper lobectomy and RML pulmonary wedge resection 5 years prior. Surveillance chest computed tomography showed an increase in the size of the subcarinal lymph node and right lymph node conglomerate encasing the right upper lobe pulmonary artery, consistent with metastasis. Fine-needle aspiration of level 4R lymph nodes was performed. Histology and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the diagnosis of small cell carcinoma. Consequently, the patient was placed on cisplatin/etoposide combination chemotherapy.