Successful surgical intervention in an unusual case of Aspergillus endocarditis with acute myeloid leukemia

Endocarditis due to Aspergillus infection is a rare complication in patients with hematological malignancies. Here, we present a case of aspergillus endocarditis in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia [AML] successfully treated with antifungal therapy and surgical treatment. The patient was a 51 years old male, a known case of AML who was admitted to our medical center for evacuating his valvular vegetations and repairing his atrial septal defect. He underwent an open heart surgery to relinquish his thromboses and also received an antifungal regimen. The patient tolerated the procedure well and eight months after his surgery, the patient remains asymptomatic. Successful treatment of this severe case of aspergillus endocarditis justifies a multidisciplinary method to be as a safe and effective approach to manage these patients

clinicopathologic study of lung cancer cases in Iran

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. In Iran, lung cancer is the fifth leading cancer and its prevalence rate has been increasing steadily. In this study, the clinicopathological aspects of lung cancer are discussed. Between October 2002 and November 2005, 242 [178 men, 64 women] patients with histologically confirmed lung cancer were interviewed according to a questionnaire. Women developed the disease at an earlier age than men [55.9 +/- 14.2 versus 61.3 +/- 12.3 years; p=0.004]; 66.5% of lung cancer patients [85.4% of men and 14.1% of women] were smokers [p<0.0001]; 76.3% of participants, who had exposure to secondhand smoke, were females. Among the environmental carcinogens, the most exposures were to inorganic dusts [49.8%] and chemical compounds [34.9%].Most male and female patients suffered from adenocarcinoma [28.9%] and non small cell carcinoma [28.5%]. The prevalence of adenocarcinoma was higher in the non-smoker group, whereas incidence of squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma was higher among smokers [p<0.0001]. In this study, most patients [74.0%] presented with an advanced-stage tumor [IIIB or IV]. Our results suggest that in addition to cigarette smoking, other environmental, occupational and socioeconomic factors may play a role in the development of lung cancer