Prognostic Factors for Discharge Directly Home in Patients With Thoracoscopic Surgery for Empyema: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a widely recommended treatment for empyema in advanced stages. However, only a few studies have evaluated prognostic factors among patients with empyema who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Furthermore, no studies have evaluated predictors of direct discharge home. Patients and Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 161 patients with empyema who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in five acute-care hospitals. The primary outcome was the probability of direct discharge home. The secondary outcome was the length of hospital stay after surgery. We broadly assessed pre-operative factors and performed univariable logistic regression for the direct discharge home and univariable gamma regression for the length of hospital stay after surgery. Results: Of the 161 included patients, 74.5% were directly discharged home. Age (>70 years; -24.3%); altered mental status (-33.4%); blood urea nitrogen (>22.4 mg/dL; -19.4%); and pleural pH (<7.2; -17.6%) were associated with high probabilities of not being directly discharged home. Fever (15.2%) and albumin (> 2.7 g/dL; 20.2%) were associated with high probabilities of being directly discharged home. The median length of stay after surgery was 19 days. Age (>70 years; 6.2 days); altered mental status (5.6 days); purulence (2.7 days); pleural thickness (>2 cm; 5.1 days); bronchial fistula (14.6 days); albumin (>2.7 g/dL; 3.1 days); and C-reactive protein (>20 mg/dL; 3.6 days) were associated with a longer post-operation hospital stay. Conclusions: Physicians should consider using these prognostic factors to predict non-direct discharge to the home for patients with empyema.

Effectiveness of Immediate Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Empyema: A Multicentre, Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Because of limitations in previous randomised controlled trials and observational studies, the effectiveness of immediate video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for patients with empyema in real-world settings remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate whether immediate VATS improves clinical outcomes in patients with empyema. METHODS: This multicentre retrospective cohort study included 744 patients with physician-diagnosed empyema from six hospitals between 2006 and 2021. The exposure was VATS performed within 3 days of empyema diagnosis, the primary outcome was 30-day mortality, and secondary outcomes were 90-day mortality, length of hospital stay, and time from diagnosis to discharge. We used propensity score weighting to account for potential confounders. For outcome analyses, we used logistic regression for mortality outcomes and gamma regression for the number of days. RESULTS: Among the 744 patients, 53 (7.1%) underwent VATS within 3 days, and 691 (92.9%) initially received conservative treatment. After propensity score weighting, the differences in 30- and 90-day mortalities between the immediate VATS and initial conservative treatment groups were 1.18% (95% confidence interval [CI], -10.7 to 13.0%) and -0.08% (95% CI, -10.3 to 10.2%), respectively. The differences in length of hospital stay and time from diagnosis to discharge were -3.22 (95% CI, -6.19 to -0.25 days) and -5.04 days (95% CI, -8.19 to -1.90 days), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our real-world study showed that immediate VATS reduced the length of hospital stay and the time from diagnosis to discharge. Considering the small sample and differences in protocols between countries, further large-scale studies are warranted.

Prognostic Value of Computed Tomography in Empyema: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Rationale: Chest computed tomography is performed in patients with empyema for various reasons. However, its predictive ability for patient outcomes in empyema has not been evaluated. Objectives: To evaluate the predictive ability of computed tomography findings (pleural thickness, loculation, interlobar pleural effusion, lung abscess, and bronchopleural fistula) for 90-day mortality in empyema. Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted across six acute care hospitals in Japan. We included patients with confirmed empyema diagnoses who underwent chest computed tomography within 7 days of diagnosis. Imaging findings were defined as pleural thickness, loculation, interlobar pleural effusion, lung abscess, or bronchopleural fistula. One radiologist interpreted the computed tomography scans without patient information. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. We calculated the differences in 90-day mortality between the presence and absence of each computed tomography finding using logistic regression with or without adjustment for early thoracic surgery. Results: A total of 711 patients were included in our study. Thoracic surgery was performed in 27% of patients, and the 90-day mortality rate was 10%. The differences (95% confidence intervals) in 90-day mortality without and with adjustment for early thoracic surgery were as follows: pleural thickness, 3.09% (-1.35% to 7.54%) and 2.70% (-1.80% to 7.20%); loculation, -4.01% (-8.61% to 0.60%) and -3.80% (-8.41% to 0.81%); interlobar pleural effusion, -9.15% (-14.58% to -3.72%) and -8.96% (-14.39% to -3.53%); lung abscess, 7.04% (-1.16% to 15.2%) and 6.86% (-1.34% to 15.05%); and bronchopleural fistula, 13.80% (7.66% to 19.94%) and 13.63% (7.50% to 19.77%), respectively. Conclusions: Although interlobar pleural effusion predicted lower 90-day mortality regardless of early thoracic surgery, the presence of bronchopleural fistula predicted higher 90-day mortality with empyema. Our results warrant further validation.

Preoperative Lung Ultrasound to Detect Pleural Adhesions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The usage of lung ultrasound as a preoperative examination for thoracic surgeries remains controversial. Our systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate preoperative lung ultrasound diagnostic accuracy for detecting pleural adhesions. We searched articles published in MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform until October 2020. Inclusion criteria were observational studies, case-control studies, and case series assessing preoperative lung ultrasound diagnostic accuracy. The study quality of included articles was evaluated using the modified quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies-2 tool. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated using the bivariate random-effects model. The overall quality of evidence was summarized using the grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation approach. Eleven articles were included in our systematic review. A high risk of bias was noted regarding undefined pleural adhesions and non-predefined pathological diagnosis. Based on the ten articles included for meta-analysis, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 71% [95% confidence interval (CI), 56%-82%], and 96% (95% CI, 89%-99%), respectively. The overall quality of evidence was moderate. Our systematic review revealed that lung ultrasound had high specificity. It may serve as a rule-in test for detecting pleural adhesions before thoracic surgeries, which may assist surgeons in preparation for a prolonged surgery or increased risk of complications that occurred by trocar insertion such as bleeding and persistent air leak.

Clinical and computed tomographic features of Legionella pneumonia with negative urine antigen test results.

BACKGROUND: Legionella spp. can cause severe pneumonia and most Legionella pneumonia (LP) cases are diagnosed using the urine antigen test (UAT). However, diagnosis of LP with negative UAT results (LPNUAT) is challenging. We investigated the clinical and radiological features of LPNUAT. METHODS: We retrospectively collected LP cases with positive UAT (LPPUAT) and cases of suspected LP with negative UAT that were examined by Legionella culture between July 2014 and March 2020. We investigated the clinical and CT findings for LP that showed negative UAT results and was diagnosed by culture and compared these findings with those for other pneumonias suspicious for LP with negative results in UAT and Legionella culture (OPSLP). RESULTS: Eight LPNUAT, 20 LPPUAT, and 19 OPSLP cases were included in this study. There were no significant differences in the clinical and CT findings between LPPUAT and LPNUAT when examined by UAT. In LPNUAT, dyspnea, renal dysfunction, liver dysfunction, and bilateral lesions were more commonly observed and inflammatory changes and the number of affected lobes were significantly higher when examined by culture than when examined by UAT. Comparison to OPSLP, LPNUAT did not show such differences, but rather showed disturbances in consciousness, hyponatremia and rhabdomyolysis. Furthermore, lobar consolidation was observed more frequently and bronchial wall thickening and centrilobular nodules were observed less frequently in LPNUAT. CONCLUSIONS: LP characteristics such as disturbance of consciousness, hyponatremia, rhabdomyolysis, lobar consolidation, and less bronchial wall thickening and centrilobular nodule contribute to the diagnosis of LP in patients with negative UAT results.

Ability of high-resolution computed tomography to distinguish Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia from other bacterial pneumonia: Significance of lateral bronchial lesions, less air bronchogram, and no peripheral predominance.

BACKGROUND: No study has investigated the capability of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) to detect a lateral bronchus abnormality, degree of air bronchogram, and distribution of affected lesions in the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP). METHODS: We prospectively enrolled patients with serologically-confirmed MPP or culture-confirmed other bacterial pneumonia (OBP). The distribution of affected areas, abnormalities in lateral bronchial lesions, the degree of air bronchogram, and previously reported findings on HRCT were evaluated for MPP and OBP. Predictive HRCT findings for MPP were determined by logistic regression analysis. We provisionally designed our HRCT criteria (negative, probable, or highly suspected) for diagnosing MPP and investigated the diagnostic yield of the HRCT criteria. RESULTS: Sixty-three MPP and 126 OBP patients were included in this study. Logistic regression analysis showed that the absence of peripheral predominance, bronchial wall thickening, lateral bronchial wall thickening, intralobular or lobular ground-glass opacities, intralobular ground-glass opacities connected to a lateral bronchus, and less air bronchogram in infiltrates were significant predictors of MPP. Our HRCT criteria showed that the sensitivity and specificity in negative, probable, and highly suspected MPP were 0.0 and 0.33, 1.0 and 0.69, and 0.5 and 0.98, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: HRCT had considerable ability to detect a lateral bronchial abnormality and to diagnose or rule out MPP based on the distribution of affected areas, abnormalities in lateral bronchial lesions, and the degree of air bronchogram in the infiltrates.

[Hepatoid Adenocarcinoma of the Lung with High Serum AFP and CEA Values;Report of a Case].

A 60-year-old man exhibited an abnormal shadow in the right upper lobe. He was diagnosed with lung cancer by percutaneous computed tomography-guided lung tumor biopsy. Preoperative blood test showed high serum alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) values. Right upper lobectomy was performed and histlogical diagnosis was AFP producing hepatoid adenocarcinoma with immunohistochemically positive HEP-PAR1. After the surgery, AFP and CEA values decreased to normal range.

[Endobronchial Lipoma Treated Left Lower Lobectomy;Report of a Case].

Endobronchial lipoma is a rare benign tumor. Bronchoscopic intervention or surgical resection is reported for its treatment. A 63-year-old woman underwent chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scan for observation of her continuous wheezing. CT scan showed atelectasis in the left lower lobe and a tumor in the left lower lobe bronchus. Bronchoscopic examinations could not confirm the diagnosis. Although laser therapy was conducted, the tumor could not be resected due to the bleeding and the patient underwent left lower lobectomy. The pathological diagnosis was endobronchial lipoma. After the operation, her symptoms improved.