Use of an Amplatzer Device for Endoscopic Closure of a Large Bronchopleural Fistula following Lobectomy for a Stage I Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Bronchopleural fistulas can occur as a rare but severe complication after pulmonary resection. Established guidelines for the proper treatment of patients with bronchopleural fistulas do not exist. Apart from attempts to close the fistula, emphasis is placed on preventive measures, early treatment with antibiotics, drainage of the empyema and aggressive nutritional and rehabilitative support. For inoperable patients, endoscopic procedures are the only therapeutic option. Unfortunately, large (>8 mm) or central bronchopleural fistulas are usually not suitable for such endoscopic management. Recently, some groups have published a few case reports about a novel technique for the endobronchial closure of bronchopleural fistulas, using an Amplatzer device, originally designed for transcatheter closure of cardiac septal defects. We applied the same technique as a life-saving treatment in a ventilated patient who was considered inoperable due to a high oxygen need. The operation was successful. The patient could be weaned from ventilation and was eventually discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility several weeks after the insertion of the device. Until now, endoscopic techniques have only been useful for the treatment of small, peripheral, bronchopleural fistulas and even then only as a bridge to surgery in high-risk surgical patients. In this case report, we demonstrate that the use of an Amplatzer device can expand the importance of endoscopic techniques in the treatment of bronchopleural fistulas. An Amplatzer device, for endobronchial closure, can indeed be administered for large and central bronchopleural fistulas. Moreover, it can be considered as a definite alternative to surgery in inoperable patients.

Unilateral segmental hyperhidrosis associated with pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

This is the report of a 38-year-old man with unilateral dermatomal hyperhidrosis documented by a starch-iodine technique; a subsequent diagnosis was made of a generalized pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The association of unilateral hyperhidrosis and a malignant tumor is reviewed.

Elevated plasminogen activator inhibitor levels in cyclosporin-treated renal allograft recipients.

Atherosclerosis and thrombosis, two major causes of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients, share the same clinical risk factors including decreased fibrinolysis and lipid disturbances. In a cross-sectional study we have determined parameters of fibrinolysis in control subjects (n = 23) and stable renal allograft recipients without cyclosporin (CsA) (n = 10) and with CsA (n = 87) in their immunosuppressive treatment. In CsA-treated patients, tissue-type plasminogen activator was moderately increased compared to patients without CsA (8.4+/-3.3 vs 5.5+/-2.8 ng/ml). The plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity in plasma was clearly increased in CsA-treated patients: 14.5+/-8.8 vs 7.2+/-3.2 in normal controls and 8.5+/-2.4 AU/ml in patients without CsA. Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels were higher in CsA-treated patients (256+/-62 and 169+/-60 mg/dl) than in patients without CsA (209+/-45 and 136+/-44 mg/dl). The two groups did not differ in HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a). Hypercholesterolaemia, obesity, and steroid-induced diabetes could be identified as risk factors for elevated plasma PAI activity in CsA-treated patients. Hypofibrinolysis induced by elevated PAI levels and increased LDL cholesterol may contribute to the increased thrombogenicity and accelerated atherosclerosis observed in cyclosporin-treated patients.

Visceral leishmaniasis in an adult with HIV infection.

We present the first case of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in a Spanish patient with HIV infection living in Belgium. After four weeks of stibogluconate and zidovudine treatment, the initially low CD4 count improved, and the splenomegaly regressed. VL is becoming frequently reported in association with HIV infection, especially in countries where leishmaniasis is endemic. The apparent effect of VL on the CD4 count may cause problems in the staging of HIV infections.