Black pigment on EBUS-TBNA sampling: A case of malignant melanoma.

The visualization of black pigment during EBUS-TBNA suggests a relapse of melanoma. This case highlights the value of EBUS-TBNA in diagnosing metastatic melanoma, particularly when the macroscopic appearance of the aspirate suggests the diagnosis.

Respiratory symptoms due to a twisted nasogastric tube: A case report.

Insertion of a nasogastric tube (NGT) is generally considered safe; however, it is not without risk, and in cases of misplacement, complications and even death may occur. In this article, we reported a case of NGT misplacement in a 75-year-old male, which resulted in aspiration pneumonia. We also reviewed published cases of NGT misplacement. Clinicians should pay enough attention to the confirmation of the proper placement of an NGT. A systematic approach for NGT insertion and confirmation is required to prevent misplacement.

Ruptured giant thoracic hydatid cyst presenting with respiratory symptoms.

Pulmonary hydatid disease remains a global public health issue. Symptoms often result from cyst rupture, causing fever, cough, and hemoptysis. Radiographs may show homogeneous masses, air-fluid levels, or the pathognomonic "water lily" sign. Surgical removal is the primary treatment, with early diagnosis crucial to prevent acute hypersensitivity reactions and death.

Post-operative arrest following pectus excavatum repair: A case report with a systematic review of the published case reports.

Key Clinical Message: Common complications after PE surgery include ventricular tachycardia, cardiac arrest, pneumothorax, and bar displacement. These can lead to severe outcomes, emphasizing the need for caution and meticulous post-operative monitoring. Patients and their families should be well-informed about potential risks during the consent process. Abstract: The objective of this study was to raise awareness among medical staff and surgeons about potential complications, particularly rare and life-threatening ones, associated with pectus excavatum (PE) surgery. PE is the most common chest wall deformity, characterized by sternal depression. Patients primarily seek treatment for cosmetic concerns, but some also report exercise intolerance and shortness of breath. Although surgical repair is the standard treatment, the incidence and nature of severe complications remain unclear and underreported. This study presents a case of a lethal cardiac event following PE surgery and conducts a systematic review of published case reports. This study describes a case of a lethal complication of ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest following the Ravitch procedure for correction of PE in a 10-year-old boy. A systematic review of relevant cases of PE surgery complications was conducted. Of the 506 initial records retrieved, 93 case reports from 83 articles were identified over the 23 years. Among them, 72 patients were male, and 20 cases were female. The average age of patients was 19.2 ± 7.7 years (range: 5-53). Complications had occurred up to 37 years from the time of surgery, with most of the cases (22.5%) occurring during the operation. The most frequent complications included cardiothoracic issues and displacement of the implanted steel bar. In nine patients, complications led to fatal outcomes. Due to the possible risks of PE surgery, particularly in cosmetically motivated cases, surgeons must exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant for rare and potentially life-threatening complications.

Persistent cough and situs inversus in a middle-aged female.

Kartagener syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, can present in adults with persistent respiratory symptoms and radiological changes, such as bronchiectasis and situs inversus. Clinicians should maintain a high clinical suspicion, as early recognition and appropriate management are crucial for preserving pulmonary function.

COVID-19 and spontaneous pneumothorax: a survival analysis.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 Patients may be at risk for involving with spontaneous pneumothorax. However, clinical data are lacking in this regard. In this study, we aimed to investigate the demographic, clinical, and radiological characteristics and survival predictors in COVID-19 patients with pneumothorax. METHODS: This is a retrospectivestudy conducted on COVID-19 patients with pneumothorax that had been hospitalized at hospital. l from December 2021 to March 2022. The chest computed tomography (CT) scan of all patients was reviewed by an experienced pulmonologist in search of pulmonary pneumothorax. Survival analysis was conducted to identify the predictors of survival in patients with COVID-19 and pneumothorax. RESULTS: A total of 67 patients with COVID-19 and pneumothorax were identified. Of these, 40.7% were located in the left lung, 40.7% were in the right lung, and 18.6% were found bilaterally. The most common symptoms in the patient with pneumothorax were dyspnea (65.7%), increased cough severity (53.7%), chest pain (25.4%), and hemoptysis (16.4%). The frequency of pulmonary left and right bullae, pleural effusion, andfungus ball were 22.4%, 22.4%, 22.4%, and 7.5%, respectively. Pneumothorax was managed with chest drain (80.6%), chest drain and surgery (6%), and conservatively (13.4%). The 50-day mortality rate was 52.2% (35 patients). The average survival time for deceased patients was 10.06 (2.17) days. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that those with pleural effusion or pulmonary bullae have a lower survival rate. Further studies are required to investigate the incidence and causality relation between COVID-19 and pneumothorax.

CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene therapy in lung cancer

As the largest cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, pulmonary cancer is the most common form of the disease. Several genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors come into play during the multi-step mechanism of tumorigenesis. The heterogeneity that makes discovering successful therapeutics for pulmonary cancer problematic is significantly influenced by the epigenetic landscape, including DNA methylation, chromatin architecture, histone modifications, and noncoding RNA control. Clinical activity of epigenetic-targeted medicines has been reported in hematological tumors, and these compounds may also have therapeutic effects in solid tumors. Over the course of the past few years, some researchers have successfully modified the expression of genes in cells using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins) technique. The utilization of this technology allows for the induction of site-specific mutagenesis, epigenetic alterations, and the regulation of gene expression. This study will present an overview of the primary epigenetic alterations seen in pulmonary cancer, as well as a summary of therapeutic implications for targeting epigenetics in the management of pulmonary cancer, with a particular emphasis on the technique known as CRISPR/Cas9 (AU)

CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene therapy in lung cancer.

As the largest cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, pulmonary cancer is the most common form of the disease. Several genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors come into play during the multi-step mechanism of tumorigenesis. The heterogeneity that makes discovering successful therapeutics for pulmonary cancer problematic is significantly influenced by the epigenetic landscape, including DNA methylation, chromatin architecture, histone modifications, and noncoding RNA control. Clinical activity of epigenetic-targeted medicines has been reported in hematological tumors, and these compounds may also have therapeutic effects in solid tumors. Over the course of the past few years, some researchers have successfully modified the expression of genes in cells using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins) technique. The utilization of this technology allows for the induction of site-specific mutagenesis, epigenetic alterations, and the regulation of gene expression. This study will present an overview of the primary epigenetic alterations seen in pulmonary cancer, as well as a summary of therapeutic implications for targeting epigenetics in the management of pulmonary cancer, with a particular emphasis on the technique known as CRISPR/Cas9.

Immunogenic cell death (ICD)-inducers in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC): current knowledge and future perspective.

The prevalence of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is rising every year all around the world. The interaction between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a crucial factor in determining the development of human neoplasms. Organellar and cellular stress are induced during immunogenic cell death (ICD), a particularly functional response pattern. ICD is a separate but poorly characterized entity caused by various cancer treatments. The induction of ICD has the potential to change TME and the recruitment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and the coupling of ICD-inducers and other therapeutic approaches can have a synergistic role in boosting anticancer impacts. The purpose of this study is to review the studies in the field of NSCLC using ICD-inducers as a treatment strategy or as a combination therapy. This review provide for researches a better view of what has been done so far and the challenges they face in the future.

Evaluation of headache associated with personal protective equipment during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has created new conditions for medical staff, forcing them to use personal protective equipment (PPE) for an extended duration of time. Headache is a commonly associated side effect of the use of such equipment among healthcare workers. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, 243 frontline healthcare workers at four referral hospitals for COVID-19 were evaluated for the occurrence of headache following the use of PPE and its relationship with blood gas parameters was assessed. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 36 ± 8 years. Of these, 75% were women. The prevalence of headache after the use of masks was 72.4%, with the N95 mask being the most commonly reported cause of headache (41%). Among patients, 25.1% developed external pressure, 22.2% migraine, and 15.2% tension-type headaches. Headache was more common in the female gender. Apart from gender, only increased heart rate was significantly associated with headache due to mask use (p = .03 and .00, respectively). The mean heart rate was 97.7 ± 13.68 in participants with headache compared to 65.8 ± 35.63 in those without headache. No significant relationship was found between headache and venous blood gas parameters, including oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressure. CONCLUSION: Headache due to PPE is common and can decrease the efficiency of hospital staff performance. Hence, it is necessary to consider this issue among health center personnel and provide modalities to reduce the risk of headache.

Low-dose whole-lung irradiation in severe COVID-19 pneumonia: a controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant morbidity and mortality thus far. Considering the historical uses of high-voltage X-ray beams for unresolvable pneumonia, we aimed to assess whether low-dose whole-lung irradiation (WLI) could provide any benefits for patients with refractory COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: Eleven patients with refractory COVID-19 pneumonia were treated with WLI to a total dose of 1 Gy and compared to 11 patients in a matched control group from June to November 2020. The study's primary endpoint was improvement of chest X-ray severity score (CXRS), followed by changes in mean oxygen (O2) saturation and 28-day mortality as secondary endpoints. RESULTS: The final CXRS was significantly lower in the WLI group (8.7 ± 2.5) compared to the control group (12.3 ± 3.3) (P: 0.016). Change of CXRS from the first to the last chest X-ray was -2.2 ± 3.1 for the WLI group and 0.7 ± 3.9 for the control group, which showed a trend for lower CXRS in the WLI group (U = 30, p: 0.085). Mean O2 saturation showed insignificant improvement in the first 24 hours after radiotherapy (mean difference: 2.5 ± 4.1, Z=-1.6, P value: 0.11). Overall survival after 28 days was 32% in the WLI group and 11% in the control group (P: 0.48). The reason for death in many patients was not merely respiratory failure, but also other adverse situations like pneumothorax, cardiogenic shock and pulmonary thromboembolism. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose WLI could improve the CXR severity score and O2 saturation in severely ill COVID-19 patients, but larger studies are required to determine its impact on mortality.

Proven Aspergillus flavus pulmonary aspergillosis in a COVID-19 patient: A case report and review of the literature.

Severe COVID-19 patients complicated with aspergillosis are increasingly reported. We present a histopathological proven case of fatal COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA), due to Aspergillus flavus. This report and existing published literature indicate diagnostic challenges and poor outcomes of CAPA in ICU patients.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of 905 COVID-19 Patients Admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex in the Capital City of Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: We studied the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 905 hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex (IKHC), Tehran, Iran. METHODS: COVID-19 patients were recruited based on clinical symptoms and patterns of computed tomography (CT) imaging between February 20 and March 19. All patients were tested for the presence of COVID-19 RNA. The Poisson regression model estimated the incidence rate ratio (IRR) for different parameters. RESULTS: The average age (± standard deviation) was 56.9 (±15.7) years and 61.77% were male. The most common symptoms were fever (93.59%), dry cough (79.78%), and dyspnea (75.69%). Only 43.76% of patients were positive for the RT-PCR COVID-19 test. Prevalence of lymphopenia was 42.9% and more than 90% had elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) or C-reactive protein (CRP). About 11% were severe cases, and 13.7% died in the hospital. The median length of stay (LOS) was 3 days. We found higher risks of mortality in patients who were older than 70 years (IRR = 11.77, 95% CI 3.63-38.18), underwent mechanical ventilation (IRR = 7.36, 95% CI 5.06-10.7), were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (IRR = 5.47, 95% CI 4.00-8.38), tested positive on the COVID-19 test (IRR = 2.80, 95% CI 1.64-3.55), and reported a history of comorbidity (IRR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.07-2.89) compared to their corresponding reference groups. Hydroxychloroquine therapy was not associated with mortality in our study. CONCLUSION: Older age, experiencing a severe form of the disease, and having a comorbidity were the most important prognostic factors for COVID-19 infection. Larger studies are needed to perform further subgroup analyses and verify high-risk groups.