Percutaneous core needle biopsy in the diagnosis of mediastinal tumors

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contribution of percutaneous core cutting needle biopsy [PCNB] in the diagnosis of mediastinal tumors. Thirty patients [25 men and 5 women] between the ages of 10-70 years underwent CT guided PCNB. The results showed that of these 30 patients, 27 were diagnosed correctly by PCNB; whereas, 3 were misdiagnosed as nonspecific inflammation providing an overall sensitivity of 90%. Most of the patients had various types of lymphomas including non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. Nine patients had bronchogenic carcinoma. Two patients had metastatic carcinoma. Two patients had neurofibroma. Two patients had thymoma and one patient had plasma cell tumor. Pneumothorax was the most commonly encountered complication

Study of some antioxidants in cases of bronchial asthma

The aim of this study was to explore some of the local antioxidant defenses in patients with asthma focusing on superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione [GSH] and selenium. Two groups of subjects were included in this study: Group I included 20 asthmatic patients and group II included 10 normal control subjects. Glutathione [GSH], superoxide dismutase [SOD] and selenium were estimated in bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] of all subjects. The results showed that there was a significant increase in the level of BAL glutathione among asthmatic group as compared with the control group. Also, the study showed a significant decrease in the level of BAL selenium among the asthmatic group as compared with the control group. Also, there was a significant decrease in the level of BAL superoxide dismutase among the asthmatic group when compared with the control group

Renal and pulmonary functional changes in patients with silicosis

The objective of this study was to investigate the early renal and pulmonary functional changes among workers exposed to silica dust. The study was performed on the following three groups of subjects: Group I consisted of 15 healthy subjects as a control group, group II consisted of 15 workers exposed to silica dust without a manifestation suggestive of silicosis [chronic cough and expectoration, dyspnea, fatigability, normal spirometric data and normal chest radiographic appearance] and group III consisted of 15 workers exposed to silica dust with manifestations suggestive of silicosis, clinical [chronic cough and expectoration, dyspnea and fatigability], physiological [abnormal spirometric data] and chest radiographic appearance. The study concluded that patients suffering from silicosis showed significant changes in the renal functions together with mild combined obstructive and restrictive ventilatory defect compared with the healthy silica exposed workers and the healthy nonexposed ones. It was recommended that kidney function tests should be routinely done, especially those which detect the early dysfunction as B2-microglobulins, even if chest X-ray and simple pulmonary functions were normal

Diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage in peripheral lung cancer

The purpose of this study was to assess the value of the addition of bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] to the routine bmnchoscopic exploration with bronchial washing [BW] and postbronchoscopy sputum [PBS] procedures in the diagnosis of peripheral primary lung cancer not visible through bronchoscope when fluoroscopic guidance is not available. BAL, BW, and PBS were performed in 40 patients with suspected primary lung cancer by peripheral lung lesion on chest radiograph and CT [24 nodules and 16 infiltrates]. Transthoracic percutaneous CT guided needle biopsy was performed in cases with negative bronchoscopic results Thirty two patients were found to have malignant disease [14 adenocarcnoma 12 squamous cell carcinoma, 4 small cell carcinoma and two bronchoalveolar cell caminoma]. BAL was positive in 11 of the 32 [34%] carcinomas and it gave the only positive results in four cases [12%].BW was also positive in 11 of the 32 [34%], but it gave positive results in only 2 [6%].PBS was positive in 11 of the 32 [34%] and gave the only positive results in one [3%]. The combination of cytologic study of the three samples produced a significantly greater number of diagnosis [15 of 32, 57%] than each procedure alone [P <0.02]. The diagnostic sensitivity was higher for infiltrates [8 of 12, 66%] than for nodular lesion [10 of 20, 50%]without regard to histologic cell type [P=0.035] of 8 patients with non malignant diseases [four pulmonary tuberculosis and four other benign diseases]. BAL was diagnostic in three of four patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and it gave the only positive results in two. In short, in the diagnosis of lung cancer presenting as a peripheral nodule or infiltrate, when fluoroscopic guidance is not available, at least a 50% yield can be obtained from cytologic examination BAL, aspiration of all bronchoscopic secretions before and after BAL and 3 days collection of early morning sputum after bronchoscopy. Additional advantages are its low morbidity and the high diagnostic value in other diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis

Diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage in peripheral lung cancer

The purpose of this study was to assess the value of the addition of bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] to the routine bronchoscopic exploration with bronchial washing [BW] and postbronchoscopy sputum [PBS] procedures in the diagnosis of peripheral primary lung cancer not visible through bronchoscope when fluoroscopic guidance is not available. BAL, BW, and PBS were performed in 40 patients with suspected primary lung cancer by peripheral lung lesion on chest radiograph and CT [24 nodules and 16 infiltrates]. Transthoracic percutaneous CT guided needle biopsy was performed in cases with negative bronchoscopic results Thirty two patients were found to have malignant disease [14 adenocarcinoma, 12 squamous cell carcinoma, 4 small cell carcinoma and two bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma]. BAL was positive in 11 of the 32 [34%] carcinomas and it gave the only positive results in four cases [12%].BW was also positive in 11 of the 32 [34%], but it gave positive results in only 2 [6%].PBS was positive in 11 of the 32 [34%] and gave the only positive results in one [3%]. The combination of cytologic study of the three samples produced a significantly greater number of diagnosis [18 of 32, 57%] than each procedure alone [P<0.02]. The diagnostic sensitivity was higher for infiltrates [8 of 12, 66%] than for nodular lesion [10 of 20, 50%] without regard to histologic cell type [P=0.035] of 8 patients with non malignant diseases [four pulmonary tuberculosis and four other benign diseases]. BAL was diagnostic in three of four patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and it gave the only positive results in two .In short, in the diagnosis of lung cancer presenting as a peripheral nodule or infiltrate, when fluoroscopic guidance is not available, at least a 50% yield can be obtained from cytologic examination BAL, aspiration of all bronchoscopic secretions before and after BAL and 3 days collection of early morning sputum after bronchoscopy. Additional advantages are its Low morbidity and the high diagnostic value in other diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis