ABSTRACT
Objective To summarize the clinical features of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis(ABPA)to facilitate its early diagnosis and treatment. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 77 patients who had been admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1996 to July 2015 with ABPA. Results The average age of these 77 patients(38 men and 39 women)was(41.8±18.3)years. The co-morbidities included bronchial asthma(n=74,96%)and pulmonary cystic fibrosis(n=3,4%). The main symptoms and signs of ABPA were chronic cough(100%),sputum production(97%),wheeze(86%),sputum plugs(25%),blood-stained sputum(18%),hemoptysis(9%),chest pain(9%),fever(47%),weight loss(30%),and night sweat(12%). Laboratory tests revealed elevated levels of blood eosinophils absolute count(87%),anti-aspergillus antigen-specific IgE(89%)and specific IgG(57%)as well as a positive result of Aspergillus antigen skin test(88%). Pulmonary function testing showed that the incidences of obstructive ventilation and diffusion dysfunction were 66% and 65%,respectively;in addition,bronchodilatation test showed positive result in 60% of the patients. The most common CT findings were central bronchiectasis(81%),patchy infiltrations(79%),pleural thickening(49%),mediastinal adenopathy(35%),nodular opacities(25%),mucoid impaction(21%),and fleeting infiltrations(35%). In addition,44 cases(58%)were misdiagnosed as tuberculosis,pneumonia,lung abscess,and/or lung cancer autoimmune diseases. Conclusions ABPA can be easily misdiagnosed. ABPA should be carefully considered in patients with asthma or pulmonary cystic fibrosis who also suffer from wheeze,sputum plugs,elevated eosinophils central bronchiectasis,and fleeting infiltrations.
ABSTRACT
In this paper is presented the research and development of a new myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE)-based quantitative analysis system for myocardial microcirculation. The system can measure the values of A, beta, A x beta, A-EER (endo-epi ratio of A), beta-EER and A x beta-EER from the signal intensity of real-time 2-D grayscale images and power Doppler images; it can draw the time-intensity curves to indicate the variation of the intensity of microbubbles scattering in subendocardial layer and subepicardial layer with the varying of myocardial segments; and it can estimate the hemodynamic parameters by nonlinear regression analysis. So the MCE software system has brought the quantitative analysis of real-time MCE to success.
Subject(s)
Humans , Coronary Circulation , Coronary Disease , Diagnostic Imaging , Echocardiography , Methods , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Methods , Microbubbles , Microcirculation , Nonlinear Dynamics , SoftwareABSTRACT
This article reports a quantitative analysis software system for myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE). It can measure the signal intensity of grayscale images and power Doppler images, draw the time-intensity curves of variations on the intensity of microbubbles scattering in subendocardial layer and subepicardial layer with the pulsing intervals, and estimate the hemodynamic parameters by nonlinear regression analysis. This system has been applied to a study on 20 healthy volunteers, and the results suggest that the software has the capacity for bringing the quantitative analysis of MCE to success. The MCE software system conforms to the DICOM standard and can be integrated into PACS.