A Case of Echinococcal Cyst of the Lung.

Echinococcosis, also known as Hydatid disease, is caused by the larvae of the tapeworm Echinococcus. It is globally prevalent and is a major clinical health concern. It is endemic in most underdeveloped regions including Asia, the Mediterranean, South America and Africa. There are four species within the genus Echinococcus, with E. granulosus and E. multilocularis being the most common, causing Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) and Alveolar Echinococcosis (AE). The clinical presentation of the disease is non-specific. It commonly involves the liver, lungs, brain and adrenal glands. Pulmonary disease is significant for its propensity to affect children and young adults. This young population accounts for ∼50% of pulmonary hydatid cysts [1]. Cysts are known to grow extensively in size. Many patients are asymptomatic and have only a solitary cyst. Symptoms arise from enlargement of the cyst and from eroding and pressure applied by the cyst to blood vessels and organs. If rupture of the cyst occurs it can lead to immunologic reactions such as asthma and anaphylaxis. Echinococcus in the lung can pose diagnostic dilemmas, as their homogeneous density and tendency to occur alone may cause them to be confused with squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, solitary metastasis, and abscess [2]. Our case is of such a patient who was found to have a 6 cm mass in the right middle lobe (RML) found on a chest X-ray during evaluation of back pain. Echinococcus should always be included in a differential diagnosis of any mass lesions especially in immigrant populations from endemic countries.

Interhospital transfer of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction for percutaneous coronary intervention.

We investigated in 277 consecutive patients, mean age 63 years, with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction transferred from 25 community hospitals to a tertiary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) center from a median distance of 21 miles the incidences of in-hospital mortality, stroke, and recurrent myocardial infarction associated with transfer times. Of the 277 patients, 158 (57%) had thrombolytic therapy at the referring hospital. Of the 277 patients, 63 (23%) had adjunctive PCI, 119 (43%) had primary PCI, and 95 (34%) had rescue PCI. Of the 277 patients, 42 (15%) were hemodynamically unstable. Median transfer times were 102 minutes with primary PCI, 119 minutes with rescue PCI, and 144 minutes for adjunctive PCI (P < 0.0001 for adjunctive PCI versus primary PCI; P = 0.011 for adjunctive PCI versus rescue PCI). Median transfer time was 98 minutes for hemodynamically unstable patients and 121 minutes for hemodynamically stable patients (P = 0.005). In-hospital death occurred in eight of 277 patients (3%). In-hospital stroke occurred in three of 277 patients (1%). In-hospital recurrent myocardial infarction occurred in none of 277 patients (0%). There was no association of transfer times with in-hospital mortality or stroke. In-hospital mortality occurred in three of 112 patients (3%) who had bare metal stents and in five of 165 patients (3%) who had drug-eluting stents.

Evaluation and management of cough.

Cough is the most common complaint for which patients seek outpatient medical attention. Usually a minor irritant, it can occasionally be caused by a serious underlying process, and healthcare providers should be diligent in their evaluation. Symptom duration and the particular response to treatment options help identify the etiology of the cough.

Mantle cell lymphoma presenting as Mikulicz syndrome.

A middle-aged woman presented with insidious onset swelling of bilateral lacrimal and parotid glands. Mikulicz syndrome is a symptom complex caused by a variety of systemic disorders like lymphoma, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, human immunodeficiency virus infection, tuberculosis, etc. Biopsy from her lacrimal glands revealed mantle cell lymphoma. Although involvement of salivary and lacrimal glands as a part of generalized lymphomatous involvement is not uncommon, Mikulicz syndrome as a presenting manifestation of a lymphoma is very rare.

Hemoptysis in a patient with tracheopathia osteochondroplasia.

Tracheopathia osteochondroplasia is a rare slowly progressive benign disease of unknown etiology characterized by submucosal nodules protruding in the airway. Most patients are asymptomatic but with progression of disease, symptoms of cough, hemoptysis, dyspnea, wheezing, hoarseness, and rarely airway compromise have been reported. Management is symptomatic with control of cough, prophylaxis with antibiotics, and rarely surgery.

Hemoptysis: diagnosis and treatment.

Hemoptysis is the expectoration of blood or blood tinged sputum from the bronchi, larynx, trachea or lungs. The etiology of hemoptysis is best categorized from the various system or site of bleeding. The management of hemoptysis begins with an initial assessment of gas exchange and hemodynamic stability followed by an identification of the cause by means of fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and chest imaging studies to attain cessation of bleeding and to prevent future recurrence.