Post COVID-19 pneumo-hematocele: clinical presentation and treatment pathway.

OBJECTIVES: The appearance of characteristic pulmonary lesions has been noted after COVID-19, being described as post-COVID-19 pneumo-hematocele. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical, histopathologic, and imaging features of pneumo-hematocele and to suggest a treatment algorithm for these patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in patients admitted with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV2 infection from March 2020 to September 2021 who presented a pneumo-hematocele on imaging studies. Clinical and demographic variables were recorded, and CT scans were analyzed. A secondary analysis was performed to estimate the risk provided by the pneumo-hematocele diameter of developing pneumothorax. RESULTS: 37 patients were diagnosed with pneumo-hematoceles, 97.3% were males with a median age of 41 ± 13 years and 51% were smokers. The mean diameter of the pneumatocele was 6.3 ± 2.8 cm; they were more common on the subpleural surface and in the inferior lobe. Thirty patients had ruptured pneumo-hematoceles and developed pneumothorax (81.1%); a total of 26 patients required surgery (70.3%). Lesions measuring 5 cm had a high risk of rupture (OR 6.8, CI 95% 1.1-42); those measuring 3 cm were prone to this complication. For each centimeter that the pneumo-hematocele diameter increases, the OR for rupture increases 1.5. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that post-COVID-19 pneumo-hematocele occurs secondary to encapsulation of blood accumulation inside the lung, as a result of micro-capillary bleeding, with partial reabsorption of blood and subsequent air filling. We recommend surgery for patients with pneumo-hematoceles of 5 cm and those with persistent lesions of 3 cm. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05067881.

Corrigendum: CXCL17 Is a Specific Diagnostic Biomarker for Severe Pandemic Influenza A(H1N1) That Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.633297.].

CXCL17 Is a Specific Diagnostic Biomarker for Severe Pandemic Influenza A(H1N1) That Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome.

The C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 17 (CXCL17) is chemotactic for myeloid cells, exhibits bactericidal activity, and exerts anti-viral functions. This chemokine is constitutively expressed in the respiratory tract, suggesting a role in lung defenses. However, little is known about the participation of CXCL17 against relevant respiratory pathogens in humans. Here, we evaluated the serum levels and lung tissue expression pattern of CXCL17 in a cohort of patients with severe pandemic influenza A(H1N1) from Mexico City. Peripheral blood samples obtained on admission and seven days after hospitalization were processed for determinations of serum CXCL17 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of CXCL17 was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHQ) in lung autopsy specimens from patients that succumbed to the disease. Serum CXCL17 levels were also analyzed in two additional comparative cohorts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients. Additionally, the expression of CXCL17 was tested in lung autopsy specimens from COVID-19 patients. A total of 122 patients were enrolled in the study, from which 68 had pandemic influenza A(H1N1), 24 had COVID-19, and 30 with PTB. CXCL17 was detected in post-mortem lung specimens from patients that died of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) and COVID-19. Interestingly, serum levels of CXCL17 were increased only in patients with pandemic influenza A(H1N1), but not COVID-19 and PTB. CXCL17 not only differentiated pandemic influenza A(H1N1) from other respiratory infections but showed prognostic value for influenza-associated mortality and renal failure in machine-learning algorithms and regression analyses. Using cell culture assays, we also identified that human alveolar A549 cells and peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages increase their CXCL17 production capacity after influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 virus infection. Our results for the first time demonstrate an induction of CXCL17 specifically during pandemic influenza A(H1N1), but not COVID-19 and PTB in humans. These findings could be of great utility to differentiate influenza and COVID-19 and to predict poor prognosis specially at settings of high incidence of pandemic A(H1N1). Future studies on the role of CXCL17 not only in severe pandemic influenza, but also in seasonal influenza, COVID-19, and PTB are required to validate our results.

Mediastinitis necrotizante descendente de origen dental: revisión de la literatura y presentación de un caso / Descending necrotizing mediastinitis of dental origin: a case study and review of the literature

La mediastinitis se define como una inflamación aguda severa de los tejidos conectivos ubicados en la cavidad torácica media, en la que 20% de los casos puede implicar una infección difusa y polimicrobiana del mediastino denominada mediastinitis necrotizante descendente (MND), secundaria a la propagación de una infección grave desde los tejidos bucofaríngeos o cervicales tales como infecciones odontogénicas (de 36 a 47%), faríngeas (de 33 a 45%), cervicales (15%) y otras infecciones de cabeza y cuello (5%). Clínicamente, los pacientes presentan aumento de volumen, temblores, trismus, odinofagia con disnea, disfagia, hipotensión, dolor de cuerpo y del ángulo de la mandíbula. Puede observarse signo de Hamman (crepitación mediastinal con el latido cardiaco) y enfisema subcutáneo. El manejo quirúrgico de las infecciones odontogénicas, sin importar su severidad, consta de dos principios: eliminar el foco etiológico y el vaciamiento quirúrgico de los espacios anatómicos comprometidos con la instalación de un drenaje adecuado. Se presenta el caso de un masculino de 60 años con diagnóstico de mediastinitis necrotizante descendente de origen dental (AU)

Mediastinitis is defined as a severe acute inflammation of the connective tissues affected in the middle thoracic cavity, in which 20% of cases may involve a diffuse and polymicrobial infection of the mediastinum, descending necrotizing mediastinitis (MND), secondary to the spread of a serious infection from the oropharyngeal or cervical tissues, stories such as odontogenic infections (36 to 47%), pharyngeal (33 to 45%), cervical (15%) and other head and neck infections (5%). Clinically, patients present with increased volume, tremors, trismus, odynophagia with dyspnea, dysphagia, hypotension, pain in the body and in the angle of the jaw. Hamman sign (mediastinal crepitus with heartbeat) and subcutaneous emphysema may be observed. The surgical management of odontogenic infections, regardless of their severity, consists of two principles: eliminate the etiological focus and the surgical emptying of the anatomical spaces compromised with the installation of adequate drainage. We present the case of a 60-year-old man diagnosed with descending necrotizing (AU)