Value of bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of sputum smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Bronchoscopy has been found to be applicable in diagnosing suspects of pulmonary TB which have no sputum or sputum smear negative for acid fast bacilli. Additionally, it is helpful in the diagnosis of endobronchial tuberculosis, allowing early detection of broncho stenosis.Methods: A prospective study, where bronchoscopy was conducted in 167 patients with acid-fast bacillus sputum smear negative. The average age of the patients was 44.1±19.4, from age 15 to 87 years old, higher frequency in age from 20-40 years old and 55-64 years old.Results: From 167 patients in the study, endoscopic presentation resulted: normal in 7 (4.2%) cases, bronchitis - 60 (35.9%) cases, oedematous-hyperaemic -62 (37.1%) cases, caseous inflammation - 7 (4.2%) cases, ulcerative lesions - 3 (1.8%) cases, tumoral lesions - 21 (12.6%) cases and fibrous stenotic changes in 7 (4.2%) patients. From 44 (26.3%) patients to whom was obtained biopsy, the histological examination has resulted: 24 (54.5%) cases with TB granuloma, 14 (31.8%) - epithelioid granulomas and in 6 (13.6%) cases resulted non-specific inflammation. The examination of bronchial washing for acid-fast bacillus smear concluded the diagnosis in 40.4% of cases, the examination for acid-fast bacillus smear collected after diagnostic FBS has been decisive in 53.9% of cases. The examination for acid-fast bacillus culture resulted positive in 70.5% of bronchial washing and in 61.2% of sputum collected after FBS.Conclusions: Fibreoptic bronchoscopy plays the key role to the patients with suspected tuberculosis which are acid-fast bacillus smear negative or that have no sputum

Whole-Genome Sequences of Two NDM-1-Producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Isolated in a Clinical Setting in Albania in 2018

Isolation of metallo-β-lactamase-producing, carbapenem-resistant, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains is increasingly being documented worldwide; their presence constitutes a public health threat. Here, we report draft genome sequences of two New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1-producing, multidrug-resistant, P. aeruginosa strains of sequence type 235 that were isolated from the surgical wound of two patients hospitalized in the same ward

Desmoid tumors of the pleura: a clinicopathologic mimic of localized fibrous tumor

Introduction: Desmoid tumor is an aggressive form of fibromatosis of musculoaponeurotic origin. It is a histologically benign, slow growing tumor commonly presenting in the age group of 15-60 years. Desmoid tumor is a rare, benign soft tissue tumor having the potential for local invasion. It commonly arises in the abdominal wall, presenting as a palpable mass. We describe a case of thoracic desmoid tumor in a middle-aged male arising from the chest wall.Objective: Intrathoracic desmoid tumors of the pleura are unusual tumors that are often clinically and histologically confused with localized fibrous tumor of the pleura or benign neurogenic tumors. Material and Methods: We studied three cases of intrathoracic desmoid tumor of the pleura and reviewed the clinical, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical features of the patients. Three women, ranging in age from 30 to 40 years (mean, 35 yr) comprised the study group. Treatment included complete resection (two cases)by anterolateral thoracotomy in one case and by VATS in another one, subtotal resection (one case), followed by radiation therapy.Results: Follow-up to date shows stable residual disease at 12 months (one case) was done reinvent also expected again local receive and recommendation radiotherapy treatment and two patients with no evidence of disease at 12 and 36 months, respectively. Conclusions: Desmoid tumor should be considered in the differential of localized fibrous tumor of the pleura.Keywords: Desmoidal tumor , complete resection, Intrathoracic.

Risk factors for infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales: an international matched case-control-control study (EURECA)

Cases were patients with complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI), complicated intraabdominal (cIAI), pneumonia or bacteraemia from other sources (BSI-OS) due to CRE; control groups were patients with infection caused by carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacterales (CSE), and by non-infected patients, respectively. Matching criteria included type of infection for CSE group, ward and duration of hospital admission. Conditional logistic regression was used to identify risk factors. Findings Overall, 235 CRE case patients, 235 CSE controls and 705 non-infected controls were included. The CRE infections were cUTI (133, 56.7%), pneumonia (44, 18.7%), cIAI and BSI-OS (29, 12.3% each). Carbapenemase genes were found in 228 isolates: OXA-48/like, 112 (47.6%), KPC, 84 (35.7%), and metallo-beta-lactamases, 44 (18.7%); 13 produced two. The risk factors for CRE infection in both type of controls were (adjusted OR for CSE controls; 95% CI; p value) previous colonisation/infection by CRE (6.94; 2.74-15.53; <0.001), urinary catheter (1.78; 1.03-3.07; 0.038) and exposure to broad spectrum antibiotics, as categorical (2.20; 1.25-3.88; 0.006) and time-dependent (1.04 per day; 1.00-1.07; 0.014); chronic renal failure (2.81; 1.40-5.64; 0.004) and admission from home (0.44; 0.23-0.85; 0.014) were significant only for CSE controls. Subgroup analyses provided similar results. Interpretation The main risk factors for CRE infections in hospitals with high incidence included previous coloni-zation, urinary catheter and exposure to broad spectrum antibiotics

Pancoast tumor approach through oesophagus

Patient with Pancoast Tumor usually present in advanced stage of the disease which requires chemotherapy and radiotherapy as options of treatment. Histologic confirmation is a key for further treatment of these patients. Normally in bronchoscopy the lesion can't be visualised and in result making biopsy difficult to perform. Transthoracic biopsy through computed tomography poses anatomic difficulties and not always the pulmonary lesion can be reached. We report a case of pancoast tumor in a 68 year old male who presented with left arm pain and upper lobe increased density mass in chest x ray. Computed tomography confirmed an upper lobe mass of the left lung with invasion of the chest wall. It was successfully diagnosed with biopsy taken through the oesophagus of intrapulmonary mass with the EBUS bronchoscope (EUS- B FNA). No complication were observed during and after the procedure. To our knowledge this is the first case of making the diagnosis of lung carcinoma Pancoast tumor using EBUS bronchoscope with approach through oesophagus (EUS-B FNA). There may be a role in using EBUS specifically to diagnose a pancoast tumor in the right patient population