Diffuse aspiration bronchiolitis: analysis of 20 consecutive patients

OBJECTIVE: Aspiration can cause a variety of pulmonary syndromes, some of which are not well recognized. The objective of this study was to assess the demographic, clinical, radiological, and histopathological correlates of diffuse aspiration bronchiolitis (DAB), a bronchiolocentric disorder caused by recurrent aspiration. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 20 consecutive patients with DAB seen at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, between January 1, 1998 and June 30, 2014. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 56.5 years (range, 22-76 years), and the male/female ratio was 2.3:1.0. In 18 patients, the diagnosis of DAB was based on the results of a lung biopsy; in the 2 remaining patients, it was based on clinical and radiological features, together with documented aspiration observed in a videofluoroscopic swallow study. In 19 patients (95%), we identified predisposing factors for aspiration, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), drug abuse, and dysphagia. Common presenting features included cough, sputum production, dyspnea, and fever. Twelve patients (60%) had a history of recurrent pneumonia. In all of the patients, chest CT revealed bilateral pulmonary infiltrates consisting of micronodules and tree-in-bud opacities. In the majority of patients, interventions aimed at preventing recurrent aspiration (e.g., anti-GERD therapies) led to improvement in the symptoms of DAB. CONCLUSIONS: Young to middle-aged subjects with recognizable predisposing factors for aspiration and who report a history of recurrent pneumonia are at increased risk for DAB. Although DAB is not well recognized, certain chest CT features are characteristic of the disorder

Leptomeningeal Collaterals and Infarct Progression in Patients With Acute Large‐Vessel Occlusion and Low NIHSS

Background Approximately 10% of patients with acute ischemic stroke with large‐vessel occlusion (LVO) have mild neurological deficits. Although leptomeningeal collaterals (LMCs) are the major determinant of clinical outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke with LVO, the contribution of baseline LMC status to subsequent infarct progression in patients with mild stroke with LVO is poorly defined. Methods This observational study included patients with acute anterior circulation LVO and mild stroke symptoms (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale < 6) from a prospectively collected, multicenter, national stroke registry. The Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score was quantified on the initial and follow‐up images. An infarct progression, defined as any Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score decrease between the initial versus follow‐up scans, was categorized as either 0/1/2+. The LMCs on the baseline images were graded as good, fair, or poor. Results Of the 623 included patients (mean age, 67.6±13.4 years; 380 [61.0%] men; 186 [29.9%] with reperfusion treatment), the baseline LMC was graded as good in 331 (53.1%), fair in 219 (35.2%), and poor in 73 (11.7%). The Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score decrement was noted as 0 in 288 (46%) patients, 1 in 154 (24%), and 2+ in 181 (29%). A poor LMC was associated with an infarct progression (adjusted odds ratio, 2.05 [95% CI, 1.22–3.47]). Conclusions Poor collateral blood flow was associated with infarct progression in patients with acute ischemic stroke with LVO and mild symptoms. In this selective population, early assessment of collateral blood flow status can help in early detection of patients susceptible to infarct progression