In this paper, we describe 72-year-old female patient without evidence of malignant disease presented with significantly elevated serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 levels by respiratory infections. She was diagnosed with respiratory infections due to Mycobacterium avium complex and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The serum CA 19-9 levels remarkably increased (1,453-5,300 U/mL; reference range, <37 U/mL) by respiratory infection and abruptly decreased (357-534 U/mL) whenever infection was controlled by specific treatments. This case suggests that serum CA 19-9 levels may be used as a diagnostic marker to indicate new or resistant infections to previous antibiotics in chronic lung diseases without significant changes in chest X-ray findings.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Lung Neoplasms ; Mycobacterium avium Complex ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Reference Values ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Thorax

Herein, we report a case of multiple systemic arteries to pulmonary artery fistulas without any underlying causes, presenting recurrent hemoptysis. Transcatheter embolization was successfully performed several times on multiple systemic feeding arteries. Multiple systemic arteries to pulmonary fistulas can be a source of uncontrolled bleeding, and embolization may be a reasonable therapeutic option to control the bleeding.
Arteries ; Arterio-Arterial Fistula ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Fistula ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Pulmonary Artery

Sarcoidosis, a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. The presentation of sarcoidal granuloma in neck nodes without typical manifestations of systemic sarcoidosis is difficult to diagnose. We describe the case of a 37-year-old woman with an increasing mass on the right side of neck. The excisional biopsy from the neck mass showed noncaseating epithelioid cell granuloma of the lymph nodes. No evidence of mycobacterial or fungal infection was noted. Thoracic evaluations did not show enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes or parenchymal abnormalities. Immunohistochemistry showed abundant expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the granuloma. However, transforming growth factor-beta was not expressed, although interleukin-1beta was focally expressed. These immunohistochemical findings supported characterization of the granuloma and the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis can present with cervical lymph node enlargement without mediastinal or lung abnormality. Immunohistochemistry may support the diagnosis of sarcoidosis and characterization of granuloma.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Epithelioid Cells ; Female ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Interleukin-1beta ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Neck ; Sarcoidosis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Although the relationship between malignancy risk with systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been inconclusive, there are some previous studies for a positive correlation. Most patients with SSc have some degree of lung parenchymal involvement in the form of interstitial thickening and fibrosis. Interstitial lung disease is the most common pulmonary manifestation of SSc. Interstitial lung disease following chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin [FOLFOX]) is an uncommon life-threatening complication and it is induced by oxaliplatin. We report a case of multiple cancers in a patient with SSc and aggravated interstitial lung disease by chemotherapy.
Fibrosis ; Humans ; Leucovorin ; Lung ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Lung Neoplasms ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; Scleroderma, Systemic

BACKGROUND: Osteopontin (OPN) and carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), which are expressed on the surface of tumor cells, are associated with hypoxia during tumor development and progression. However, the roles of these proteins in the plasma of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are poorly understood. Herein, we hypothesized that plasma OPN and CAIX levels could be used as diagnostic and prognostic tumor markers in patients with NSCLC. METHODS: Fifty-three patients with NSCLC and 50 healthy control subjects were enrolled. We selected controls without malignancy and matched them with NSCLC patient cases according to age and gender. Blood samples were collected at the time of diagnosis; the plasma levels of OPN and CAIX were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: The plasma levels of OPN in the patients with NSCLC were significantly elevated as compared to those in the controls (p=0.016). However, there was no difference in the plasma level of CAIX between the NSCLC patients and controls. NSCLC patients with a distant metastasis had a remarkable increase in plasma OPN compared with patients without metastasis (p=0.026), but no such correlation was found for CAIX. There was no difference in overall survival rates according to the plasma level of OPN between the two groups (by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis). CONCLUSION: Plasma OPN levels were elevated in patients with NSCLC as compared with the controls, with greater elevation of OPN levels in the advanced stages of disease. Therefore, plasma OPN may have utility as a diagnostic, but not prognostic, biomarker of advanced NSCLC.
Anoxia ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; Carbonic Anhydrases ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteopontin ; Plasma ; Proteins ; Survival Rate ; Biomarkers, Tumor

A 73-year-old, previously healthy man presented with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dry mouth and febrile sensation 3 hours after eating boiled wild mushrooms. After admission, he showed progressive severe respiratory distress, pancytopenia, azotemia, hypotension, hypoxemia and consolidation of the entire left lung on chest radiography. With a preliminary diagnosis of necrotizing pneumonia, he underwent left pneumonectomy in order to remove all necrotic lung tissue. Lung histology showed extensive hemorrhagic necrosis, massive inflammatory cell infiltration, prominent proliferation of young fibroblasts and the formation of an early-stage hyaline membrane along the alveolar wall. Despite aggressive treatment, including mechanical ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy and administration of granulocyte colony stimulating factor and broad spectrum antibiotics, he died on hospitalization day 13. Subsequently, the mushroom was identified as Podostroma cornu-damae. This is the first case of a histological evidence of lung involvement by Podostroma cornu-damae poisoning in Korea.
Agaricales* ; Aged* ; Anoxia ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Azotemia ; Colony-Stimulating Factors ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Eating* ; Fibroblasts ; Granulocytes ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Hypotension ; Korea ; Lung ; Membranes ; Mouth ; Mushroom Poisoning ; Nausea ; Necrosis ; Pancytopenia ; Pneumonectomy ; Pneumonia ; Poisoning ; Radiography ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Sensation ; Thorax ; Vomiting

Invasive aspergillosis has emerged as a major cause of life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. Recently, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who have been receiving corticosteroids for a long period, and immunocompetent patients in the intensive care unit have been identified as nontraditional hosts at risk for invasive aspergillosis. Here, we report a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis after influenza in an immunocompetent patient. The patient's symptoms were nonspecific, and the patient was unresponsive to treatments for pulmonary bacterial infection. Bronchoscopy revealed mucosa hyperemia, and wide, raised and cream-colored plaques throughout the trachea and both the main bronchi. Histologic examination revealed aspergillosis. The patient recovered quickly when treated systemically with voriconazole, although the reported mortality rates for aspergillosis are extremely high. This study showed that invasive aspergillosis should be considered in immunocompetent patients who are unresponsive to antibiotic treatments; further, early extensive use of all available diagnostic tools, especially bronchoscopy, is mandatory.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Aspergillosis ; Bacterial Infections ; Bronchi ; Bronchoscopy ; Humans ; Hyperemia ; Immunocompetence ; Immunocompromised Host ; Influenza A virus ; Influenza, Human* ; Intensive Care Units ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis* ; Mortality ; Mucous Membrane ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Trachea

Imatinib mesylate is a targeted therapy that acts by inhibiting tyrosine kinase of the bcr-abl fusion oncoprotein, which is specific to chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and the c-transmembrane receptor, which is specific to gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Interstitial pneumonitis is a rare adverse event of imatinib therapy. It is clinically difficult to distinguish from infectious pneumonia, which can frequently occur due to the underlying disease. The standard treatment for imatinib-induced pneumonitis is to discontinue the medication and optionally administer corticosteroids. However, there are a few cases of successful retrial with imatinib. We describe a case of successful rechallenge of imatinib in a patient with imatinib-induced interstitial pneumonitis and CML without a recurrence of the underlying disease after 3 months of follow-up.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive* ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Mesylates* ; Pneumonia* ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Recurrence ; Imatinib Mesylate

Endobronchial metastasis of leiomyosarcoma is rare, but it can cause life-threatening complications, such as massive hemoptysis, respiratory failure or even death. The development of new endoscopic modalities allows for effective endobronchial management. We report three patients with endobronchial metastases from advanced leiomyosarcomas which caused bronchial obstruction. The bronchoscopic examinations revealed masses obstructing the left main bronchus in all three patients. After removing the endobronchial tumor via interventional bronchoscopy, there was symptomatic and radiologic improvement. Moreover, the patients were able to undergo additional palliative chemotherapy. Therefore, endobronchial management of endobronchial tumors should be considered in the treatment of endobronchial metastasis, even in patients with advanced malignancies.
Bronchi ; Bronchoscopy ; Drug Therapy ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Palliative Care ; Respiratory Insufficiency

BACKGROUND: Conventional biomarkers cannot always establish the cause of pleural effusions; thus, alternative tests permitting rapid and accurate diagnosis are required. The primary aim of this study is to assess the ability of pentraxin-3 (PTX3) in order to diagnose the cause of pleural effusion and compare its efficacy to that of other previously identified biomarkers. METHODS: We studied 118 patients with pleural effusion, classified as transudates and exudates including malignant, tuberculous, and parapneumonic effusions (MPE, TPE, and PPE). The levels of PTX3, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and lactate in the pleural fluid were assessed. RESULTS: The levels of pleural fluid PTX3 were significantly higher in patients with PPE than in those with MPE or TPE. PTX3 yielded the most favorable discriminating ability to predict PPE from MPE or TPE by providing the following: area under the curve, 0.74 (95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.84), sensitivity, 62.07%; and specificity, 81.08% with a cut-off point of 25.00 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that PTX3 may allow improved differentiation of PPE from MPE or TPE compared to the previously identified biomarkers CRP and PCT.
Biomarkers ; C-Reactive Protein ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Exudates and Transudates ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Pleural Effusion*