Rendimiento de la citología por punción aspirativa transbronquial para el diagnóstico del compromiso mediastínico en el cáncer pulmonar / Utility of cytology by transbronchial needle aspiration for diagnosing mediastinal nodal involvement in lung cancer staging

Introduction: Mediastinal nodal involvement is essential in lung cancer staging. This can be performed with transbronchial needle aspiration using a flexible bronchoscope. We present the experience of the Instituto Nacional del Tórax. Material and Methods: Retrospective study. The procedure was performed in patients with mediastinal nodes greater than 1 cm on computed tomography of the chest. Results: In 132 bronchoscopies, 136 transbronchial needle aspirations for cytological studies were performed, 98 (72 percent) in subcarinal nodes and 38 (28 percent) in other locations. In 64 (47.1 percent) samples, lung cancer was diagnosed. In 100 (73,5 percent) cases the final diagnosis was lung cancer with mediastinal involvement. In this series transbronchial needle aspiration had a sensitivity of 64 percent for lung cancer diagnosis. There were no complications. Conclusions: Transbronchial needle aspiration cytology is safe and useful for the diagnosis and staging of the mediastinum in lung cancer patients.

Introducción: Identificar el compromiso de los ganglios mediastínicos es fundamental en la etapificación del cáncer pulmonar. Esto puede hacerse con muestras citológicas obtenidas mediante punción aspirativa transbronquial. Presentamos la experiencia del Instituto Nacional del Tórax. Material y Método: Estudio retrospectivo. Se realizó el procedimiento en pacientes con ganglios mediastínicos mayores de 1 cm en la tomografía computada de tórax. Resultados: En 132 fibrobroncoscopías se realizaron 136 citologías por punción aspirativa transbronquial, 98 (72 por ciento) en ganglios subcarinales y 38 (28 por ciento) en otras estaciones. En 64 (47,1 por ciento) muestras, se diagnosticó cáncer pulmonar. En 103 (76 por ciento) casos el diagnóstico final fue cáncer pulmonar. En esta serie la citología por punción aspirativa transbronquial tuvo una sensibilidad de 64 por ciento para diagnóstico de cáncer pulmonar. No se registraron complicaciones. Conclusiones: La citología por punción aspirativa transbronquial es una técnica segura y útil para la etapificación del mediastino en el cáncer pulmonar en nuestra experiencia.

Granulomatosis sarcoidea necrosante con compromiso sistémico / Necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis with systemic involvement

A 70-year-old mapuche female presented with a 1 year history of weight loss, bilateral red painful eyes and corneal ulcer that evolved into perforation and uveal herniation with complete visual loss. Reddish and painful nodules appeared on the distal aspect of both lower extremities, that ulcerated after months. A thoracic CT scan showed multiple pulmonary nodules. Infectious diseases were ruled out. An open lung biopsy and a skin biopsy were performed and both showed non-caseating necrotizing granulomas and granulomatous arteritis. Steroids and cyclophosphamide were started with complete regression of skin and pulmonary lesions within a month. Corneal transplantation was done. After 6 months follow-up, the patient is on low-dose of steroids, free of disease with partial vision recovery.

Mujer mapuche de 70 años quien en el curso de 1 año presentó baja de peso, ojo rojo bilateral y úlcera corneal que evolucionó hacia la perforación con herniación uveal y pérdida de la visión. Posteriormente se agregaron lesiones nodulares, violáceas, sensibles, algunas ulceradas en las zonas distales de ambas extremidades inferiores. La TAC de tórax demostró múltiples nódulos pulmonares. Tras un estudio exhaustivo se descartaron la tuberculosis y otras infecciones. Tanto la biopsia de las lesiones cutáneas como la biopsia pulmonar obtenida mediante toracotomía confirmaron la presencia de granulomas necrotizantes no caseificantes y arteritis granulomatosa. Se trató con esteroides y ciclofosfamida con mejoría de su condición general y regresión de las lesiones cutáneas y pulmonares en menos de 1 mes. Se realizó un trasplante de cornea. A los seis meses de seguimiento continúa en tratamiento, no ha presentado recaídas y tiene recuperación parcial de la visión.

Enfermedades pulmonares en pacientes infectados con VIH hospitalizados en el Instituto Nacional del Tórax / Lung diseases among HIV infected patients admitted to the \"Instituto Nacional del Torax\" in Santiago, Chile

Background: Pulmonary diseases are common among HIV infected patients. The prevalence of the different diseases varies greatly. Aim: To identify the different pulmonary diseases that affect a Chilean population of HIV infected patients and to identify factors associated with in hospital mortality. Material and methods: Retrospective review of the clinical records of all HIV infected patients with lung diseases discharged from our institution during a period of 3.5 years. Collection of demographic and biomedical data. Results: One hundred seventy one patients (aged 35.7 years, 86% men) had 236 episodes of lung diseases. Only 13.5% of the patients were receiving antiretroviral therapy and 18% were on pneumocystis prophylaxis. Infectious diseases accounted for 87% of the discharges, neoplasm for 5.1%. Pneumocystis jirovecii infection was responsible for 37.7% of the episodes, community acquired pneumonia was seen in 24.1% and mycobacterial diseases in 14.4%. Two or more conditions were present in 13.6%. Death during hospital stay occurred in 19.5%. Multivariate analysis identified pneumothorax as the only significant independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with pneumocystis pneumonia, while nosocomial pneumonia was the only predictor of death among patients with non-pneumocystis pulmonary diseases. Conclusions: Infectious diseases were the main cause of hospitalization among Chilean HIV infected patients. Mortality among these patients remains high. Appropriate antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis may alter pulmonary disease prevalence in the future. Every effort should be made to avoid the development of pneumothorax and nosocomial pneumonia.

Recidiva en bronquiolitis obliterante con neumonía en organización: BOOP / Relapsein bronchholitis obliterans organizing pneumonia: boop

Although relapses are frequent in bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP), there is scant information regarding the causes underlying its occurrence. We report a 63 year old woman with clinical and radiological features compatible with BOOP. No underlying cause was identified so she was thought to have cryptogenic BOOP or cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP). A transbronchial lung biopsy demonstrated chronic organizing pneumonia and features of proliferative bronchiolitis. She was successfully treated with prednisone. On the eighth month of steroid therapy, while tapering the dose, she begun with cough and dyspnea and developed new lung infiltrates on the chest x-ray film. The infiltrates cleared rapidly after increasing the dose of steroids. We discuss the possible causes of relapse in BOOP and its relation to steroid therapy.

Las recaídas son frecuentes en la bronquiolitis obliterante con neumonía en organización (BOOP), sin embargo, existe poca información con respecto a su causa. Se presenta el caso de una mujer de 63 años con un cuadro clínico radiológico compatible con BOOP. No se identificó una causa subyacente por lo que se planteó el diagnóstico de neumonía en organización criptogénica o COP. Se realizaron biopsias transbronquiales que demostraron una neumonía crónica organizada y bronquiolitis proliferativa. Se trató con prednisona con buena respuesta. Al octavo mes de tratamiento, mientras se disminuía la dosis de esteroides, comenzó con disnea y tos y aparición de nuevas opacidades pulmonares radiológicos, las que regresaron rápidamente al aumentar la dosis de esteroides. Discutimos las causas posibles de la recidiva de esta patología y su relación con la disminución de la dosis de esteroides.

Carotenos dietarios y cáncer pulmonar en hombres de Santiago / Dietary carotene and lung cancer in men from Santiago

Aiming to assess the association between carotenes and vitamin A intake and lung cancer, a case control study was performed. Sixty one male subjects with lung cancer and 61 controls paired for age, sex and smoking habits from 6 hospitals in Santiago were analyzed. Based on a compsumption tendency enquiry, the mean weekly intake of food showed that cases consumed less winter vegetables than controls (chard, beet, chicory, spinach and cabbage) but no differences between groups in carotene and retinol consumption. It is concluded that patients with lung cancer have a lower consumption of carotene rich vegetables