Hemothorax by Intercostal Varicose Veins in Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis

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From "traction bronchiectasis" to honeycombing in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A spectrum of bronchiolar remodeling also in radiology?

The diagnostic and prognostic impact of traction bronchiectasis on high resolution CT scan (HRCT) in patients suspected to have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is increasing significantly

Disease-specific and general health-related quality of life in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients: The Pros-IT CNR study

Background: The National Research Council (CNR) prostate cancer monitoring project in Italy (Pros-IT CNR) is an observational, prospective, ongoing, multicentre study aiming to monitor a sample of Italian males diagnosed as new cases of prostate cancer. The present study aims to present data on the quality of life at time prostate cancer is diagnosed. Methods: One thousand seven hundred five patients were enrolled. Quality of life is evaluated at the time cancer was diagnosed and at subsequent assessments via the Italian version of the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Results: At diagnosis, lower scores on the physical component of the SF-12 were associated to older ages, obesity and the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities. Lower scores on the mental component were associated to younger ages, the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities and a T-score higher than one. Urinary and bowel functions according to UCLA-PCI were generally good. Almost 5% of the sample reported using at least one safety pad daily to control urinary loss; less than 3% reported moderate/severe problems attributable to bowel functions, and sexual function was a moderate/severe problem for 26.7%. Diabetes, 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities, T2 or T3-T4 categories and a Gleason score of eight or more were significantly associated with lower sexual function scores at diagnosis. Conclusions: Data collected by the Pros-IT CNR study have clarified the baseline status of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. A comprehensive assessment of quality of life will allow to objectively evaluate outcomes of different profile of care

Sarcoid-like lesion is a frequent benign cause of lymphadenopathy in neoplastic patients: Table 1–

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Transesophageal endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in pulmonary medicine

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a safe and minimally invasive procedure, allowing ultrasound-guided needle aspirates in real-time, with high-sensitivity diagnostics. EUS is an instrument available to the pulmonologist for the diagnosis of mediastinal neo-plasms, benign and malignant, including the mediastinal lymph node staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with a specific sensitivity up to 90%. EUS allows to detect and to sample even small lesions with a diameter of 3 mm, which are not visible at usual imaging. The most recent guidelines on mediastinal nodal staging of lung cancer report endoscopic and trans-bronchial ultrasound (EUS and EBUS) as a viable and valid minimally invasive alternative to the “classical” surgical staging with mediastinoscopy, resulting in significant savings in diagnostic invasive surgical procedures, and unnecessary thoracotomy, with a consequent high economical impact. EUS-FNA, as EBUS-TBNA, has been shown to be able to give in one time the diagnosis, the typing, staging, and genotyping of lung cancer with a single diagnostic procedure. However, it must be highlighted that in the mediastinal nodal re-staging of NSCLC, the sensitivity of EUS-FNA significantly decreases, being <50%. Therefore, in all cases of negativity at the re-staging a surgical mediastinoscopy should be performed before therapeutical decisions. EUS should be performed in referral centres, so patients should be referred to centres of reference for a complete endoscopic staging with EBUS/ EUS. All patients, except those with a known pathologic esophageal stenosis, might be investigated by EUS, even on an outpatient basis, in mild sedation with midazolam, or deep sedation with anaesthesia care based on the internal structure organization, and complications are very rare