Assessing value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound vs. conventional transthoracic ultrasound in improving diagnostic yield of percutaneous needle biopsy of peripheral lung lesions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to systematically assess the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) vs. conventional transthoracic ultrasound (TUS) in improving diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous needle biopsy (PTNB) for subpleural lung lesions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 232 patients with subpleural lesions were 1:1 randomly assigned to a group were CEUS was performed (n=116, mean age=65.5±5.6, M=69) or not (n=116, mean age=66.0±5.3, M=70). For CEUS study was used an injection of 4.8 mL of SonoVue (Bracco, Italy). For PTNB was employed a Menghini-modified technique with a semi-automatic 18-gauge needle. RESULTS: The mean diameter of subpleural lesions was 2.85±0.7 cm in the CEUS+ group and 2.95±0.6cm in the CEUS- group. Only 3 lesions, 1 in the CEUS+ group and 2 in the CEUS- group measured >5 cm. CEUS showed no superiority in terms of diagnostic accuracy compared to conventional TUS (p=0.34). Similar results were obtained in the sub-analysis of lesions sized between 1-2 cm (p=1.00) and 2-5 cm (p=0.08). As the lesion size increased, the detection rate of necrosis in lesions increased by CEUS (from 8% to 31%). CEUS showed no superiority in terms of diagnostic accuracy in the sub-analysis of necrotic lesions at CECT (p=0.38). AUC values for both the groups assessed an excellent diagnostic yield for TUS-PTNB (≥0.80). CONCLUSIONS: CEUS study does not improve the diagnostic accuracy of TUS-guided PTNB for peripheral lung lesions <5 cm of diameter. Further studies evaluating CEUS guidance for larger (>5 cm) and necrotic lesions are needed prior that its potential can be clarified.

A case of severe allergic eosinophilic asthma with nasal polyposis in a patient affected by Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome successfully treated with benralizumab.

SUMMARY: Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome is a rare genetic pathology characterized by cutaneous fibrofolliculomas, pulmonary cysts and kidney tumours. Severe asthma is the most serious form of asthma that does not respond to standard treatments. We present the case of a 68 years-old male patient who had frequent respiratory tract infections, shortness of breath and decline in lung function, nasal polyposis and hypertrophy of the nasal turbinates, for this reason was treated as a severe asthmatic patient for several years with ICS + LABA and high doses of OCS. When we tried to reduce OCS the patient had worsening of the symptoms, we requested a HRTC scan that showed presence of several cysts spread ubiquitously. The patient had a family history of pneumothorax, for this reason we requested a genetic test that resulted in a heterozygous point mutation on exon 12 (c.1429 C > T) of FLCN gene. Despite the diagnosis of BHD syndrome, the patient's clinical condition kept on suggesting an underlying severe asthma and the blood tests we requested pointed out a high percentage of eosinophils, for this reason we opted for the administration of benralizumab that resulted in an excellent asthma control and increased quality of life.

Study of mitochondrial DNA alteration in the exhaled breath condensate of patients affected by obstructive lung diseases.

Mitochondrial DNA (MtDNA) has been studied as an expression of oxidative stress in asthma, COPD, lung cancer and obstructive sleep apnea, but it has been mainly investigated systemically, although the pathogenetic mechanisms begin in the airways and only later progress to systemic circulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the MtDNA alterations in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of patients with asthma, COPD and asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). In order to analyze better what happens to mitochondria, both locally and systemically, we compared MtDNA/nDNA in blood and EBC of paired patients. Thirteen (13) COPD patients, 14 asthmatics, 23 ACOS (10 according to Spanish guidelines, 13 in line with GINA guidelines) and 12 healthy subjects were enrolled. Patients underwent clinical and functional diagnostic tests as foreseen by the guidelines. They underwent blood and EBC collection. Content of MtDNA and nuclear DNA (nDNA) was measured in the blood cells and EBC of patients by Real Time PCR. The ratio between MtDNA/nDNA was calculated. For the first time we were able to detect MtDNA/nDNA in the EBC. We found higher exhaled MtDNA/nDNA in COPD, asthmatic and ACOS patients respectively compared to healthy subjects (21.9 ± 4.9 versus 6.51 ± 0.21, p < 0.05; 7.9 ± 2.5 versus 6.51 ± 0.21, p = 0.06; 18.3 ± 3.4 versus 6.51 ± 0.21, p < 0.05). The level of exhaled MtDNA/nDNA was positively correlated with the plasmatic one. The levels of MtDNA/nDNA in the EBC, as expression of oxidative stress, are increased in COPD, asthmatic and ACOS patients compared to healthy subjects. These are preliminary results in a small number of well characterized patients that requires confirmation on a larger population. We support new studies directed toward the analysis of exhaled MtDNA/nDNA as a new exhaled non-invasive marker in other inflammatory/oxidative airways diseases.

Multiscale analysis of blood pressure signals.

We describe the multiresolution wavelet analysis of blood pressure waves in vasovagal syncope-affected patients compared with those in healthy people, using Haar and Gaussian bases. A comparison between scale-dependent and scale-independent measures discriminating the two classes of subjects is made. What emerges is a sort of equivalence between these two methodological approaches, that is, both methods reach the same statistical significance of separation between the two classes.