[Assessment of nutritional status in patients with primary lung cancer]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Malnutrition is a common problem among patients with cancer, affecting up to 85% of patients with certain cancers and represents a risk factor for poor prognosis. Evaluate nutritional status in patients with lung cancer before and during treatment using nutritional risk index. It's a prospective study conducted in pneumology IV department in Abderahman Mami hospital, from January to May 2011. 30 male patients with a lung cancer were included. Nutritional status was assessed before and during treatment based on anthropometric measures, biological markers and nutritional risk index [NRI]. Mean age of patients was 58 +/- 12 years, ranging from 19 to 82 years. 29 patients had non small cell lung cancer and one patient had small cell cancer. Malnutrition was noted in 14 patients [47%] before treatment according to the NRI. It was noted in 23 patients [77%] after three cycles of chemotherapy with severe malnutrition in 8 patients. Relationship between body mass index [BMI] and the NRI was linear, but NRI tends to evaluate more objectively risk of malnutrition in patients with lung cancer. Nutritional assessment in patient with lung cancer should be performed systematically, early and repeatedly. Several markers can be used such as BMI and NRI. Nutritional support will reduce morbidity and improve quality of life in patients with lung cancer

[Lung cancer and chondromatous hamarotma; a case report]

The association lung cancer with chondromatous hamartoma is frequent. We present a case of synchronous primary lung adenocarcinoma and chondromatous hamartoma. Although hamartoma is generally considered to be a benign tumor, there have been several reports of increased risk of lung cancer in patients with a chondromatous hamartoma. Therefore we recommend that patients with hamartoma should be submitted to a complete evaluation and to regular follow up, considering the risk of associated synchronous malignancy

Corps etrangers tracheo-bronchiques de l'enfant. Aspects diagnostiques et therapeutiques.

In this retrospective study, the authors reviewed 31 cases of tracheobronchial foreign body in children ranging in age from one to 15 years, recruited in Ariana hospital since 1987. 74% of the patients were male, and only 26% were less than 3 years old. The foreign body is mostly revealed by a radio-clinical presentation of a feverish bronchopneumonia [32%]; children were referred to the hospital within 15,4 months. Although penetration syndrome was reported in 61% of patients, it represented the reason of consultation in only 19% of cases, and children were referred within 4,5 days. The main radiographic findings were atelectasis [32%] and non specific foci of pneumonia [19%]. Air trapping was noted in just 10% of cases. 55% of foreign bodies were vegetable in nature, with sunflower seeds at the head of the list [16%]. They have been lodged preferentially in the right bronchial tree [58%] and 51% of them were found in the mainstem bronchus. 71% were removed by endoscopic procedures; a surgical operation was performed in 6 cases [1 9%]: one case of pneumotomy to extract a metallic foreign body from distal respiratory tract, and five cases of parenchymal excision, including four for bronchiectasis. 77% of patients had symptoms that lasted at least 2 weeks before diagnosis; the long delay in diagnosis [average of 7,6 months] explains the high-level of bronchiectasis in our study [22%]. The authors emphasize the necessity to promote preventive measures by information parents and physicians on risks of foreign body aspiration, which early diagnosis can save much trouble in children