Hemoptysis and High-Density Shadow of Both Lungs Combined with Elevated Serum G-Lipopolysaccharide Misdiagnosed as Bronchiectasis with Gram-Negative Bacterium Infection Ultimately Confirmed as Mycobacterium Iranicum Infection by CT-guided Percutaneous Lung Biopsy and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS): a Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: G-lipopolysaccharide, a component of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, is called lipopolysaccharide. The detection of G-lipopolysaccharide can be used for the early diagnosis of infectious diseases, but some-times G-lipopolysaccharide provides limited help. We report a case of a patient with hemoptysis and high-density shadow of both lungs combined with elevated serum G-lipopolysaccharide which mimicked bronchiectasis with Gram-negative bacterium infection. It was ultimately confirmed as Mycobacterium iranicum infection by CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy and next generation sequencing. METHODS: The chest computed tomography (CT) scan, CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy, and NGS were performed for diagnosis and blood tests explored for the latent etiology. RESULTS: The chest CT scan showed a high-density shadow of both lungs, atelectasis of right middle lobe, multiple enlarged lymph nodes in mediastinum and right hilum. Pathology of CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy indicated fibrous tissue proliferation and granulation tissue formation and some alveolar epithelial cells slightly proliferated with focal carbon powder deposition in alveolar sacs and spaces. The lung tissue NGS confirmed Mycobacterium iranicum infection. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum G-lipopolysaccharide is not a specific index for infectious diseases. CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy and lung tissue NGS has high specificity in pathogen detection of infectious diseases.

Left Lung Neoplasms and Bilateral Pleural Effusion Combined Elevated Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Pleural Effusion with Negative Result of Thoracoscopy Pleural Biopsy Misdiagnosed as Lung Carcinoma Ultimately Confirmed Pulmonary Sarcomatoid Carcinoma by CT-guided Percutaneous Lung Biopsy: a Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Detection of carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in pleural effusion has good clinical application value in differentiating benign and malignant pleural effusion, but sometimes CEA provides limited help. We report a case of a patient with left lung neoplasms combined with bilateral pleural effusion with increased CEA in the pleural effusion whose thoracoscopy pleural biopsy pathology was negative, mimicking lung carcinoma and ultimately confirmed as pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma by CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy. METHODS: The chest computed tomography (CT) scan, thoracoscopy pleural biopsy, and CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy were arranged to explore the etiology of pleural effusion. RESULTS: The chest CT scan showed bilateral pleural effusion with left lung neoplasms, pulmonary atelectasis, and left hilar enlargement. Pathology of thoracoscopy biopsy showed pleural inflammation with infiltration of inflammatory cells. Pathology of CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy confirmed pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated pleural effusion CEA is not a specific index of lung cancer. CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy is appropriate for patients presenting with pleural diseases with lung neoplasms, especially when thoracoscopy pleural biopsy result was negative.

Elevated Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Combined White Blood Cell in Peripheral Blood Routine Have a Better Sensitivity than CURB-65 Scores in Predicting ICU Admission and Mortality in Adult Community-Acquired Pneumonia Patients.

Background: Scoring systems including CURB-65 and Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) and novel or traditional biomarkers including procalcitonin (PCT) and c-reactive protein (CRP) are very significant for understanding the severity and prognosis in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients, while prognostic items are useful for CAP prognostication and point-of-care decisions. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of peripheral blood routine items in predicting ICU admission and 30-day mortality in CAP patients.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. All adult patients with a primary diagnosis of CAP were included and peripheral blood routine tests were evaluated. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to explore association of risk factors with 30-day mortality among CAP patients. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of peripheral blood routine items and compared with CURB-65 scores in predicting ICU admission and/or 30-day mortality.

Results: One hundred fifty patients were included and compared with non-ICU admission patients. There was a statistically significant difference in age, co-existing illness, RDW, WBC, and CURB-65 scores ranking in ICU admission patients (p < 0.05). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found RDW, WBC, and CURB-65 ≥ 3 scores increased the risk of 30-day mortality by 4.01, 1.65, and 3.43 times, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of ROC curves of RDW combined with WBC and CURB-65 was 0.786 (95% CI 0.701 to 0.876) and 0.836 (95% CI 0.764 to 0.908), respectively and the sensitivity was 84.0% and 60.0%, respectively, and the specificity 66.7% and 93.7%, respectively.

Conclusions: Elevated RDW and WBC increased mortality in adult CAP patients, RDW combined with WBC had a better sensitivity than CURB-65 scores in predicting ICU admission and/or mortality in CAP patients.