ABSTRACT
Las lesiones pulmonares cavitadas en pacientes con Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico (LES) han sido descriptas en asociación con neumonitis por citomegalovirus, o secundarias a infecciones fúngicas. Haciendo una revisión en la literatura, se han descripto 13 casos de pacientes con estas lesiones. Presentamos cuatro pacientes con diagnóstico de LES, que durante la evolución de su enfermedad desarrollan cavidades pulmonares.
Cavitary lung lesions in patients with SLE have been described in association with cytomegalovirus pneumonitis, or secondary to fungal infections. Making a review in the literature, 13 cases of patients with these lesions have been described. We present four patients diagnosed with SLE, whom developed lung cavities during the evolution of the disease.
Subject(s)
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic , Pneumonia , Diagnosis , Lung Injury , LungABSTRACT
Las lesiones pulmonares cavitadas en pacientes con Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico (LES) han sido descriptas en asociación con neumonitis por citomegalovirus, o secundarias a infecciones fúngicas. Haciendo una revisión en la literatura, se han descripto 13 casos de pacientes con estas lesiones. Presentamos cuatro pacientes con diagnóstico de LES, que durante la evolución de su enfermedad desarrollan cavidades pulmonares.
Cavitary lung lesions in patients with SLE have been described in association with cytomegalovirus pneumonitis, or secondary to fungal infections. Making a review in the literature, 13 cases of patients with these lesions have been described. We present four patients diagnosed with SLE, whom developed lung cavities during the evolution of the disease.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic , Pneumonia , Lung Injury , LungABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a unique form of pulmonary hypertension (PH) that arises from obstruction of the pulmonary vessels by recanalized thromboembolic material. CTEPH has a wide range of radiologic presentations. Commonly, it presents as main pulmonary artery enlargement, peripheral vascular obstructions, bronchial artery dilations, and mosaic attenuation patterns. Nevertheless, other uncommon presentations have been described, such as lung cavities. These lesions may be solely related to chronic lung parenchyma ischemia but may also be a consequence of concomitant chronic infectious conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the different etiologies that cause lung cavities in CTEPH patients. METHODS: A retrospective data analysis of the medical records of CTEPH patients in a single reference PH center that contained or mentioned lung cavities was conducted between 2013 and 2016. RESULTS: Seven CTEPH patients with lung cavities were identified. The cavities had different sizes, locations, and wall thicknesses. In two patients, the cavities were attributed to pulmonary infarction; in 5 patients, an infectious etiology was identified. CONCLUSION: Despite the possibility of being solely associated with chronic lung parenchyma ischemia, most cases of lung cavities in CTEPH patients were associated with chronic granulomatous diseases, reinforcing the need for active investigation of infectious agents in this setting.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Pulmonary Embolism/diagnosis , Thromboembolism/etiology , Granulomatous Disease, Chronic/pathology , Hypertension, Pulmonary/diagnosis , Pulmonary Embolism/complications , Pulmonary Embolism/therapy , Angiography/methods , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Chronic Disease , Retrospective Studies , Treatment Outcome , Perfusion Imaging , Hypertension, Pulmonary/etiology , Hypertension, Pulmonary/therapy , Lung/blood supply , Anticoagulants/therapeutic useABSTRACT
One of the fascinating aspects of childhood tuberculosis (TB) is the diverse spectrum of pathology, which necessitates accurate disease classification. This manuscript provides a brief overview of the disease diversity observed in children with TB, with particular emphasis on adult-type TB. Cavitary disease in children may result from three distinct pathologic processes; 1) poor containment within the Ghon focus (mainly very young and/or immune compromised children), 2) aspiration of virulent bacilli following eruption of a diseased lymph node into an airway with resultant caseating pneumonia and parenchymal destruction (mainly children < 5 yrs of age), and 3) from adulttype disease (mainly children > 10 yrs of age). The exact pathological mechanism underlying adult-type disease remains uncertain. The combination of a destructive cell mediated immune response together with increased organism survival and proliferation in the lung apices, may initiate a vicious circle of parenchymal destruction. This hypothesis may explain the sudden emergence of adult-type disease around puberty, as well as the typical anatomical location of the lung cavities. Most children with adult-type disease are sputum smear-positive and can be diagnosed with routine sputum smear microscopy at primary health care level. Due to the high organism load the same treatment rationale used in adults with sputum smear-positive TB would apply, which justifies the use of four drugs during the initial intensive phase. These children pose a considerable transmission risk, particularly in congregate settings such as schools, and screening of close contacts should also be considered
Uno de los aspectos fascinantes de la tuberculosis (TB) infantil es el amplio espectro de las alteraciones histopatológicas, lo que requiere una clasificación precisa de los hallazgos. Este manuscrito proporciona un breve panorama general de la diversidad de presentaciones clínicas observadas en los niños con TB y hace hincapié particularmente en la TB que imita las formas del adulto. La enfermedad cavitaria en los niños puede ser el resultado de tres procesos anatomopatológicos distintos: 1) la escasa limitación dentro del foco de Ghon (principalmente en los niños muy pequeños o inmunocomprometidos), 2) la aspiración de bacilos virulentos luego de la erupción de una adenopatía en una vía aérea con neumonía caseosa consiguiente y destrucción del parénquima (principalmente en los menores de 5 años) y 3) la enfermedad de tipo adulto (principalmente en los niños mayores de 10 años). Es incierto aún el mecanismo fisiopatológico exacto subyacente a la enfermedad de tipo adulto. La combinación de una intensa respuesta inmune mediada por células junto con la mayor supervivencia y proliferación del microorganismo en los vértices pulmonares puede iniciar un círculo vicioso de destrucción parenquimatosa. Esta hipótesis puede explicar la aparición súbita de la enfermedad de tipo adulto alrededor de la pubertad, así como la localización anatómica típica de las cavidades pulmonares. La mayoría de los niños con enfermedad de tipo adulto tienen frotis de esputo positivos y el diagnóstico se puede realizar con la microscopia de rutina del frotis de esputo en la atención primaria. Debido a la gran carga de microorganismos se debe aplicar el mismo fundamento terapéutico utilizado en los adultos con TB con frotis de esputo positivo, lo cual justifica el uso de cuatro drogas durante la fase intensiva inicial. Estos niños plantean un riesgo considerable de transmisión, sobre todo en comunidades cerradas como las escuelas y también se debe considerar la pesquisa de los contactos cercanos