Co-infection of COVID-19 and Tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: Tuberculosis and COVID-19 diseases occur more frequently in people with similar risk factors. This study aimed to share the data on active tuberculosis patients during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The registration information of TB outpatient clinic between November 1, 2019, and April 20, 2020, was screened. A 7-question survey was administered to the patients who were diagnosed with active tuberculosis and who were agreed to participate in the study. RESULTS: A total of 309 patients with active tuberculosis were evaluated, the average age of the patients was 42.5 ± 18.5 years, and 70% were male. The percentage of having at least 1 comorbidity was 30.4%. The percentage of coronavirus disease 2019 disease in our study population was 1.9%; none of the patients of coronavirus disease 2019 were taken into the intensive care unit or dead due to clinical deterioration and/or respiratory failure. On the other hand, in this process it was announced that 146 457 cases were diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 throughout the country, of which 72% had inpatient treatment, 2% died, and 944 patients were still being treated in the intensive care unit, of which 490 were intubated. The positivity ratio of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test was 20.0% in the study group, while 20.3% in the Istanbul population. CONCLUSION: Tuberculosis patients might be more disadvantageous than the normal population in terms of the risk of exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, but this does not cause an increase in the frequency and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 disease in active tuberculosis patients.

Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia: clinical and radiological features, treatment outcomes of 17 patients, and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We evaluated patients with cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) who attended our clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the clinical and radiological findings, diagnostic methods, treatment, and follow-up outcomes of 17 patients who had been histopathologically diagnosed with COP. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 49.8 ± 10.4 years. The most common symptom was cough (n = 15; 88.2%) and the most common radiological finding (n = 10) was consolidation in the inferior lobes on thoracic computed tomography. The diagnosis of COP was made by open lung biopsy in 11 (64.7%) patients, transbronchial biopsy in 5 (29.4%), and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery biopsy in 1 (5.9%). The mean follow-up period was 28.7 ± 25.0 (range: 3-85) months. Twelve patients received oral corticosteroid therapy and seven of them improved without any fibrotic changes. One patient refused treatment; a chest radiography of that patient was found to be normal at the end of the 20-month follow-up period. Three patients received no other therapy, as the lesion had been completely excised. CONCLUSION: Common symptoms included cough and dyspnea, while the main radiological presentation of COP was consolidation. Corticosteroids are a good treatment option in general, but relapse may occur.