Pulmonology Commons^™

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Presenting As Chronic Cough, Marjorie Friedman, Md

The Medicine Forum

INTRODUCTION

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating, uniformly fatal disease. While it most commonly presents with limb weakness, patients may also present with neurocognitive, respiratory, or bulbar symptoms. Despite its poor prognosis, an early diagnosis can save patients from unnecessary and expensive testing, lead to interventions that improve quality of life, and give patients and family time for advanced planning.1 This case highlights an unusual presentation of ALS.

KEY POINTS

• Our patient presented with chronic cough and restrictive lung disease and after extensive workup was diagnosed with ALS.
• Bulbar and respiratory symptoms are uncommon initial presentations of ALS.
• Early …

Use Of Venovenous Extracorporeal Membranous Oxygenation Following Iatrogenic Tracheal Rupture, Rajiv Kabadi, Md

The Medicine Forum

INTRODUCTION

Iatrogenic tracheal rupture is a rare complication of endotracheal intubation and has a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Risk factors include female gender, short stature (height less than 160-cm), difficult airway anatomy, underlying connective tissue disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, use of a rigid stylet, inadequate intubation tube size, cuff over-inflation, emergent intubation and intubation performed by non-anesthesiologists. 1 Early recognition is important and diagnosis requires bronchoscopic confirmation.2,3 We describe a case where emergent venovenous extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) was utilized in the management of tracheal rupture.

KEY POINTS

• Tracheal rupture is an uncommon but severe complication of …

Challenges In The Diagnosis And Management Of Cushing’S Syndrome Due To Ectopic Acth Caused By Pulmonary Carcinoid Tumor In A Patient With Pneumoconiosis., Hazim Bukamur, Chelsey White, Rodhan Khthir, Alysia Browne, Fauzi Najar, Mohammed Al-Ourani

Internal Medicine

Sites with a high prevalence of pneumoconiosis are especially challenging to physicians. The presence of pneumoconiotic nodules on the chest computerized tomography (CT) scans makes it difficult to localize the source of ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Because of false-positive results that may occur with the use of 18 fluorodeoxyglucose ( [¹⁸F]FDG) Positron emission tomography CT (PET/CT) scan, alternative imaging modalities are needed. Gallium [⁶⁸Ga]DOTATATE is a positron emitter-labeled somatostatin analog used with PET/CT, which may improve the diagnostic accuracy of localizing ectopic ACTH-secreting carcinoid tumors in patients with pneumoconiosis by reducing false-positive results. We describe a …

Diagnosing Isolated Hepatosplenic Tuberculosis In An Immunocompetent Patient: A Case Report, Om Dawani, Raja Samir Khan, Mujtaba Jamal Syed, Abdul Moid Shehzad, Ahmed Alratoot, Muhammad Faizan Ahmed

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

For many years, tuberculosis (TB) has been endemic in Pakistan; many rare and unusual presentations have been reported. There is a myriad of non-specific symptoms which always requires a high index of clinical suspicion for TB. World Health Organization data suggest that Pakistan ranks as the fifth highest country burdened with TB and has the fourth highest prevalence of multi-drug resistant TB globally. With an annual incidence of 277 cases per 100,000, the importance of early diagnosis and treatment is self-evident. We present a case where a strong suspicion of isolated hepatosplenic TB in an immunocompetent patient justified a directed …

Can Capture Be Used To Identify Undiagnosed Patients With Mild-To-Moderate Copd Likely To Benefit From Treatment?, Nancy K. Leidy, Fernando J. Martinez, Karen G. Malley, David M. Mannino, Meilan K. Han, Elizabeth D. Bacci, Randall W. Brown, Julia F. Houfek, Wassim W. Labaki, Barry J. Make, Catherine A. Meldrum, Wilson Quezada, Stephen Rennard, Byron Thomashow, Barbara P. Yawn

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: COPD Assessment in Primary Care To Identify Undiagnosed Respiratory Disease and Exacerbation Risk (CAPTURE™) uses five questions and peak expiratory flow (PEF) thresholds (males ≤350 L/min; females ≤250 L/min) to identify patients with a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁)/forced vital capacity (FVC)11 60%–80% predicted) who may also benefit from diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: Data from the CAPTURE development study were used to test its sensitivity (SN) and specificity (SP) differentiating mild-to-moderate COPD (n=73) from no COPD (n=87). SN and SP for differentiating all COPD cases (mild to severe; n=259) from those without COPD (n=87) were …

Congenitally Corrected Transposition Of The Great Arteries In A Septuagenarian From The Developing Country Of Pakistan, Hunaina Shahab, Salima Ashiqali, Mehnaz Atiq

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) is a rare congenital cardiac defect with atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance which leads to heart failure and limits patients' lifespan. We report the case of a 70-year-old lady, from a poor province in Pakistan, who presented for the first time with palpitations and was diagnosed to have CCTGA. She had moderate pulmonic valve stenosis which was protective against heart failure. She had six children all born via spontaneous vertex delivery in her local village. This case exemplifies the fact that pulmonic stenosis is favourable for patients with CCTGA. In a country where …

Erratum To Inequivalence Of Non-Aggressiveness In Clinically Diagnosed Lung Cancers And Overdiagnosis In Lung Cancer Screening Trials., Jerome M Reich, Jong S Kim

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2018.01.164.].

A Rare Case Of Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage Secondary To Dabigatran Successfully Treated With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, C. Hutchinson, F. M. West, H. Hirose

Department of Medicine Posters

Introduction

Dabigatran, a direct thrombin inhibitor, is used for stroke risk reduction in non-valvular atrial fibrillation and for treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism. Minor side effects include indigestion and stomach pain. Major life threatening bleeding occurs in up to 2% of patients and is largely attributed to gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Here, we describe a case of a dabigatran related diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) treated successfully with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Exacerbation Recovery Patterns In Newly Diagnosed Or Maintenance Treatment-Naïve Patients With Copd: Secondary Analyses Of Ticari 1 Trial Data, David M. Mannino, Emmanuelle M. Clerisme-Beaty, Joanne Franceschina, Naitee Ting, Nancy K. Leidy

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Little is known about the recovery patterns from acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) in newly diagnosed or maintenance treatment-naïve patients with COPD. This study describes the course of AECOPD in these patients at the time of treatment for the symptoms of acute respiratory tract infection (RTI).

Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of data from a 12-week, randomized clinical trial (TICARI 1) testing the efficacy and safety of once-daily tiotropium 18 µg maintenance therapy versus placebo in newly diagnosed or maintenance treatment-naïve COPD patients with acute RTI symptoms for ≤7 days. Patients received standard care …

Alcohol Drives Oxidation-Dependent Desensitization Of Airway Cilia Motility Responsiveness, Michael Price

Theses & Dissertations

Alcohol abuse, which can impair clearance of pathogens and debris from the airway, is associated with an increase in complications and a higher mortality rate during the progression of pneumonia. With prolonged alcohol exposure, mucociliary clearance (MCC), which depends on the coordinated beating of cilia, is dysfunctional. Effective MCC relies on cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activation of ciliary beat frequency (CBF). PKA activation and stimulation of CBF are blunted with chronic exposure to alcohol. This phenomenon is known as alcohol-induced ciliary dysfunction (AICD). Previous studies have shown that concomitant feeding of mice with alcohol and antioxidants prevents AICD, suggesting a …

Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis: A 17 Year Experience From A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Omar Irfan, Haris Khan, Zarrar Khan, Alina Ashraf, Rimsha Ahmed, Javaid Khan, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Objective: Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) is an autoimmune, multi-system, small and medium vessel vasculitis with granulomatous inflammation. Aim of this study was to assess the clinical and radiological presentations of patients with GPA amongst the Pakistani population. It is a single centre retrospective single observation study.

Results: Study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi with records were reviewed from January 2000 to December 2017. Definitive diagnosis was made using a combination of serological anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) testing along with the clinical and radiological presentation. A total of 51 patients met the diagnostic criteria in the time …

Alt-803, An Il-15 Superagonist, In Combination With Nivolumab In Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Non-Randomised, Open-Label, Phase 1b Trial., John M Wrangle, Vamsidhar Velcheti, Manish R Patel, Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, Elizabeth G Hill, James G Ravenel, Jeffrey S Miller, Mohammad Farhad, Kate Anderton, Kathryn Lindsey, Michele Taffaro-Neskey, Carol Sherman, Samantha Suriano, Marzena Swiderska-Syn, Amy Sion, Joni Harris, Andie R Edwards, Julie A Rytlewski, Catherine M Sanders, Erik C Yusko, Mark D Robinson, Carsten Krieg, William L Redmond, Jack O Egan, Peter R Rhode, Emily K Jeng, Amy D Rock, Hing C Wong, Mark P Rubinstein

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy with PD-1 or PD-L1 blockade fails to induce a response in about 80% of patients with unselected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and many of those who do initially respond then develop resistance to treatment. Agonists that target the shared interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-15Rβγ pathway have induced complete and durable responses in some cancers, but no studies have been done to assess the safety or efficacy of these agonists in combination with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. We aimed to define the safety, tolerability, and activity of this drug combination in patients with NSCLC.

METHODS: In this non-randomised, open-label, phase 1b …

Congenital Abnormalities Of The Lower Airway And Lungs, Christopher M. Oermann

Presentations

Goals and Objectives. Participants will be able to: Describe the 5 stages of fetal lung development. Summarize the prenatal identification and management of congenital abnormalities of the lower airways and lung (CALA). Explain the classification of CALAL. Compare the clinical characteristic, pathology and management of common CALAL. Discuss the long term prognosis of CALAL.

The Role And Safety Of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration In The Diagnosis And Management Of Infected Bronchogenic Mediastinal Cysts In Adults, Hazim S. Bukamur, Emad Alkhankan, Haitem Mezughi, Nancy J. Munn, Yousef R. Shweihat

Internal Medicine

Bronchogenic and other duplication cysts are congenital abnormalities that can present at any age including adulthood years. They are usually asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on radiological imaging of the chest. They are commonly treated by surgical resection. Recently, endobronchial ultrasound has been used to assist in diagnosis when radiologic imaging is not definitive. Endobronchial ultrasound has been used rarely to drain infected cysts, a rare complication of the bronchogenic cyst. We present a unique case of an infected large bronchogenic cyst treated with endobronchial ultrasound drainage combined with conservative medical therapy. We also review the scarce available literature describing such …

Constrictive Pericarditis Presenting As Bilateral Pleural Effusion: A Report Of Two Cases, Manesh Kumar Gangwani, Salman B. Mahmood,, Fariha Hasan, Javaid Khan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Constrictive pericarditis is a rare presentation. We need a very high index of clinical suspicion to diagnose the disease. It most commonly presents secondary to tuberculosis (TB) in the developing world and post-radiation therapy in the developed world. Classically, it presents with symptoms of heart failure and as pericardial thickening or calcification on imaging studies. In hospital settings, constrictive pericarditis is not usually considered as a differential in patients presenting with pleural effusion. According to the literature, associated pleural effusions in cases of constrictive pericarditis could be left-sided. Herein, we present two unusual presentations of cases with bilateral pleural effusions. …

Implementation Of A Guideline-Based Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Management Algorithm, Claire Elson, Ellen Meier, Douglas Swanson, Christopher M. Oermann

Posters

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease is a challenge to manage in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Diagnosis of NTM pulmonary disease is complex. Effective treatment requires long term, multi-drug therapy delivered by several routes. Consensus recommendations published in 2016 were developed to guide CF providers in NTM screening, diagnosis and management. Primary Outcomes. Children’s Mercy-Kansas City (CMKC) developed an NTM working group to facilitate implementation of standardized NTM management. Methods. NTM working group: Pulmonologist (CF Center Director), Infectious Diseases specialist, nurse practitioner (CF Center Coordinator), and pharmacist. Sought expertise from the Director of Microbiology Laboratory regarding susceptibility testing. Developed NTM Management …

Investigation Of Reactive Oxygen Species Production In The Rat Lung Using Optical Imaging, Nina Friedly

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Oxidative stress, the imbalance between production of oxidants or reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant activity, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung diseases. The objective of this thesis was to develop a robust protocol for measuring the rate of H2O2 production in isolated perfused rat lungs and to determine the cellular sources of that rate using Amplex Red (AR). For a given lung, AR (25 mM) along with horseradish peroxidase (5 U/ml) and ascorbate oxidase (1U/ml) were added to a perfusate reservoir that was recirculated through the lungs and sampled at 5 minute intervals …

Electronic Cigarettes Use And Perception Amongst Medical Students: A Cross Sectional Survey From Sindh, Pakistan, Nousheen Iqbal, Zain A. Khan, Syed Muhammad Hamza Anwar, Omar Irfan, Babar Irfan, Ammar Mushtaq, Maria Bibi, Faraz Siddiqui, Javaid Khan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Objective: The manufacturers of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are actively marketing their product through electronic and social media. Undergraduate medical students are expected to have better knowledge and awareness as they directly interact with patients in their training, The purpose of this study is therefore, to determine knowledge, use and perception regarding e-cigarettes among medical students from Sindh, Pakistan.

Results: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 1st July and 30th September 2016 at five different medical colleges situated in the second largest province of Sindh, Pakistan. The data was collected through a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Of the 500 students, the mean …

Factors Associated With Month 2 Smear Non-Conversion Among Category 1 Tuberculosis Patients In Karachi, Pakistan, Kimberly A. D'Souza, Syed M A. Zaidi, Maria Jaswal, Shahid Butt, Saira Khowaja, Shifa Salman Habib, Amyn A. Malik

Community Health Sciences

Predictors of smear non-conversion at baseline can help identify cases at risk for failure of tuberculosis treatment. Retrospective data for smear-positive Category 1 patients in Karachi, Pakistan, was analyzed. Predictors of sputum conversion were determined using multiple logistic regression with sputum conversion as outcome variable and patient demographics, baseline weight, baseline sputum smear grade, case-finding approach as explanatory variables. Age ≥35 years, baseline sputum grade of 3+ were significantly associated with predicting sputum smear positivity at month 2 of treatment. Monitoring compliance to TB treatment should be considered amongst older patients and those with a high sputum grade at baseline.

Achromobacter Xylosoxidans/Denitrificans Bacteremia And Subsequent Fatal Escherichia Coli/Streptococcus Anginosus Pleural Empyema, S. Habib, N. Fuca, M. Azam, A. H. Siddiqui, K. Rajdev, M. Chalhoub

Journal Articles

© 2018 The Authors Achromobacter xylosoxidans, a gram-negative bacillus with low virulence has rarely been reported to cause clinically significant infections. We report an unusual case of MDR Achromobacter xylosoxidans/denitrificans bacteremia from a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) and subsequent fatal pleural empyema due to MDR Escherichia coli and Streptococcus anginosus. A 44-year-old male presented to the hospital with chief complaints of chest tightness associated with a productive cough. He was found to have pleural empyema secondary to MDR E. coli and S. anginous. Three months prior to current presentation, he had a history of MDR A. xylosoxidans originating from …