Background: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare and severe lung condition characterized by a rapid accumulation of eosinophils in the alveoli, leading to respiratory distress. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of affected patients, aiming to shed light on the relationship between cigarette smoking and AEP. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 17 cases of AEP, focusing on patients' smoking habits, clinical symptoms, diagnostic findings, and treatment outcomes. Data were collected from medical records, imaging studies, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) findings. Results: The study cohort consisted primarily of male military personnel (94.1%), with a mean age of 20.8 years. Symptoms generally appeared approximately 2.82 days prior to hospitalization, with a mean body temperature at admission of 37.6 °C. The mean initial peripheral blood white blood cell count was 15.3×103/μL, with eosinophil percentages starting at 0.2%, peaking at a mean of 16.1%, and reaching as high as 32.4%. BAL fluid analysis showed a mean eosinophil level of 46.6%±15.1% (range, 17%–67%). In most cases, radiological examinations revealed bilateral ground-glass opacities, interlobular septal thickening, various degrees of airspace consolidation, and bilateral pleural effusions. Steroid treatment was administered to 70.5% of patients, lasting a mean of 8.3 days and resulting in significant improvements. Conclusions These cases reinforce the strong link between cigarette smoking and AEP. Additionally, these cases demonstrate the importance of obtaining a detailed smoking history and thorough diagnostic assessments, including BAL, in order to facilitate a more rapid diagnosis and early initiation of corticosteroid treatment.

Background: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare and severe lung condition characterized by a rapid accumulation of eosinophils in the alveoli, leading to respiratory distress. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of affected patients, aiming to shed light on the relationship between cigarette smoking and AEP. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 17 cases of AEP, focusing on patients' smoking habits, clinical symptoms, diagnostic findings, and treatment outcomes. Data were collected from medical records, imaging studies, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) findings. Results: The study cohort consisted primarily of male military personnel (94.1%), with a mean age of 20.8 years. Symptoms generally appeared approximately 2.82 days prior to hospitalization, with a mean body temperature at admission of 37.6 °C. The mean initial peripheral blood white blood cell count was 15.3×103/μL, with eosinophil percentages starting at 0.2%, peaking at a mean of 16.1%, and reaching as high as 32.4%. BAL fluid analysis showed a mean eosinophil level of 46.6%±15.1% (range, 17%–67%). In most cases, radiological examinations revealed bilateral ground-glass opacities, interlobular septal thickening, various degrees of airspace consolidation, and bilateral pleural effusions. Steroid treatment was administered to 70.5% of patients, lasting a mean of 8.3 days and resulting in significant improvements. Conclusions These cases reinforce the strong link between cigarette smoking and AEP. Additionally, these cases demonstrate the importance of obtaining a detailed smoking history and thorough diagnostic assessments, including BAL, in order to facilitate a more rapid diagnosis and early initiation of corticosteroid treatment.

Background: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare and severe lung condition characterized by a rapid accumulation of eosinophils in the alveoli, leading to respiratory distress. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of affected patients, aiming to shed light on the relationship between cigarette smoking and AEP. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 17 cases of AEP, focusing on patients' smoking habits, clinical symptoms, diagnostic findings, and treatment outcomes. Data were collected from medical records, imaging studies, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) findings. Results: The study cohort consisted primarily of male military personnel (94.1%), with a mean age of 20.8 years. Symptoms generally appeared approximately 2.82 days prior to hospitalization, with a mean body temperature at admission of 37.6 °C. The mean initial peripheral blood white blood cell count was 15.3×103/μL, with eosinophil percentages starting at 0.2%, peaking at a mean of 16.1%, and reaching as high as 32.4%. BAL fluid analysis showed a mean eosinophil level of 46.6%±15.1% (range, 17%–67%). In most cases, radiological examinations revealed bilateral ground-glass opacities, interlobular septal thickening, various degrees of airspace consolidation, and bilateral pleural effusions. Steroid treatment was administered to 70.5% of patients, lasting a mean of 8.3 days and resulting in significant improvements. Conclusions These cases reinforce the strong link between cigarette smoking and AEP. Additionally, these cases demonstrate the importance of obtaining a detailed smoking history and thorough diagnostic assessments, including BAL, in order to facilitate a more rapid diagnosis and early initiation of corticosteroid treatment.

Background: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare and severe lung condition characterized by a rapid accumulation of eosinophils in the alveoli, leading to respiratory distress. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of affected patients, aiming to shed light on the relationship between cigarette smoking and AEP. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 17 cases of AEP, focusing on patients' smoking habits, clinical symptoms, diagnostic findings, and treatment outcomes. Data were collected from medical records, imaging studies, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) findings. Results: The study cohort consisted primarily of male military personnel (94.1%), with a mean age of 20.8 years. Symptoms generally appeared approximately 2.82 days prior to hospitalization, with a mean body temperature at admission of 37.6 °C. The mean initial peripheral blood white blood cell count was 15.3×103/μL, with eosinophil percentages starting at 0.2%, peaking at a mean of 16.1%, and reaching as high as 32.4%. BAL fluid analysis showed a mean eosinophil level of 46.6%±15.1% (range, 17%–67%). In most cases, radiological examinations revealed bilateral ground-glass opacities, interlobular septal thickening, various degrees of airspace consolidation, and bilateral pleural effusions. Steroid treatment was administered to 70.5% of patients, lasting a mean of 8.3 days and resulting in significant improvements. Conclusions These cases reinforce the strong link between cigarette smoking and AEP. Additionally, these cases demonstrate the importance of obtaining a detailed smoking history and thorough diagnostic assessments, including BAL, in order to facilitate a more rapid diagnosis and early initiation of corticosteroid treatment.

Background: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare and severe lung condition characterized by a rapid accumulation of eosinophils in the alveoli, leading to respiratory distress. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of affected patients, aiming to shed light on the relationship between cigarette smoking and AEP. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 17 cases of AEP, focusing on patients' smoking habits, clinical symptoms, diagnostic findings, and treatment outcomes. Data were collected from medical records, imaging studies, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) findings. Results: The study cohort consisted primarily of male military personnel (94.1%), with a mean age of 20.8 years. Symptoms generally appeared approximately 2.82 days prior to hospitalization, with a mean body temperature at admission of 37.6 °C. The mean initial peripheral blood white blood cell count was 15.3×103/μL, with eosinophil percentages starting at 0.2%, peaking at a mean of 16.1%, and reaching as high as 32.4%. BAL fluid analysis showed a mean eosinophil level of 46.6%±15.1% (range, 17%–67%). In most cases, radiological examinations revealed bilateral ground-glass opacities, interlobular septal thickening, various degrees of airspace consolidation, and bilateral pleural effusions. Steroid treatment was administered to 70.5% of patients, lasting a mean of 8.3 days and resulting in significant improvements. Conclusions These cases reinforce the strong link between cigarette smoking and AEP. Additionally, these cases demonstrate the importance of obtaining a detailed smoking history and thorough diagnostic assessments, including BAL, in order to facilitate a more rapid diagnosis and early initiation of corticosteroid treatment.

A small proportion of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) develop severe pneumonia. We reported the severe COVID-19 pneumonia in children aged <18 years with COVID-19 treated with remdesivir and dexamethasone from August 2021 to November 2021 by a retrospective review of their medical records. Eight children were included (5 males and 3 females). Their median age was 16 years (range: 9 to 17 years) and their median body mass index was 30.5 kg/m 2 (range: 22.8–38.5 kg/m 2 ). All patients had fever and dyspnea with hypoxia. Chest radiographic findings were variable and included diffuse or multifocal consolidation, nodules, and ground-glass opacities in the lungs. After receiving intravenous remdesivir and dexamethasone, 7 of the 8 children experienced an improvement in their symptoms within 2 days. In our case series, obesity was present in 6 out of 8 children with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Objective: To compare the effects of bone suppression imaging using deep learning (BSp-DL) based on a generative adversarial network (GAN) and bone subtraction imaging using a dual energy technique (BSt-DE) on radiologists’ performance for pulmonary nodule detection on chest radiographs (CXRs). Materials and Methods: A total of 111 adults, including 49 patients with 83 pulmonary nodules, who underwent both CXR using the dual energy technique and chest CT, were enrolled. Using CT as a reference, two independent radiologists evaluated CXR images for the presence or absence of pulmonary nodules in three reading sessions (standard CXR, BSt-DE CXR, and BSp-DL CXR). Person-wise and nodule-wise performances were assessed using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) and alternative free-response ROC (AFROC) curve analyses, respectively. Subgroup analyses based on nodule size, location, and the presence of overlapping bones were performed. Results: BSt-DE with an area under the AFROC curve (AUAFROC) of 0.996 and 0.976 for readers 1 and 2, respectively, and BSp-DL with AUAFROC of 0.981 and 0.958, respectively, showed better nodule-wise performance than standard CXR (AUAFROC of 0.907 and 0.808, respectively; p ≤ 0.005). In the person-wise analysis, BSp-DL with an area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of 0.984 and 0.931 for readers 1 and 2, respectively, showed better performance than standard CXR (AUROC of 0.915 and 0.798, respectively; p ≤ 0.011) and comparable performance to BSt-DE (AUROC of 0.988 and 0.974; p ≥ 0.064). BSt-DE and BSp-DL were superior to standard CXR for detecting nodules overlapping with bones (p < 0.017) or in the upper/middle lung zone (p < 0.017). BSt-DE was superior (p < 0.017) to BSp-DL in detecting peripheral and sub-centimeter nodules. Conclusion BSp-DL (GAN-based bone suppression) showed comparable performance to BSt-DE and can improve radiologists’ performance in detecting pulmonary nodules on CXRs. Nevertheless, for better delineation of small and peripheral nodules, further technical improvements are required.

Objectives: Rasmussen’s aneurysm may cause life-threatening hemoptysis. We investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with hemoptysis and Rasmussen’s aneurysm. Methods: We retrospectively investigated patients who clinically presented with hemoptysis and were diagnosed with a Rasmussen’s aneurysm on spiral chest computed tomography (CT). Results: Our study included 16 patients (men:women, 12:4; mean age, 65.25 ± 13.0 years). Massive hemoptysis was observed in nine patients (56%) and blood-tinged sputum in four patients (25%). Ten patients (62.5%) had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis, and three patients (18.7%) had underlying lung cancer. Chest CT revealed coexisting fungal balls in seven patients (43.7%). Bronchial artery embolization (BAE) was performed in 12 patients (75%). One patient died of uncontrolled massive hemoptysis. Conclusions Patients with Rasmussen’s aneurysm showed hemoptysis during the course of the disease; however, bleeding can be controlled with conservative therapy and radiological interventions, such as BAE.

BACKGROUND: Infectious conditions may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factor for combined infectious disease and its influence on mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: Patients with PE diagnosed based on spiral computed tomography findings of the chest were retrospectively analyzed. They were classified into two groups: patients who developed PE in the setting of infectious disease or those with PE without infection based on review of their medical charts. RESULTS: Of 258 patients with PE, 67 (25.9%) were considered as having PE combined with infectious disease. The sites of infections were the respiratory tract in 52 patients (77.6%), genitourinary tract in three patients (4.5%), and hepatobiliary tract in three patients (4.5%). Underlying lung disease (odds ratio [OR], 3.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.926–7.081; p<0.001), bed-ridden state (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.390–5.811; p=0.004), and malignant disease (OR, 1.867; 95% CI, 1.017–3.425; p=0.044) were associated with combined infectious disease in patients with PE. In-hospital mortality was higher in patients with PE combined with infectious disease than in those with PE without infection (24.6% vs. 11.0%, p=0.006). In the multivariate analysis, combined infectious disease (OR, 4.189; 95% CI, 1.692–10.372; p=0.002) were associated with non-survivors in patients with PE. CONCLUSION A substantial portion of patients with PE has concomitant infectious disease and it may contribute a mortality in patients with PE.

BACKGROUND: Infectious conditions may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factor for combined infectious disease and its influence on mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE).METHODS: Patients with PE diagnosed based on spiral computed tomography findings of the chest were retrospectively analyzed. They were classified into two groups: patients who developed PE in the setting of infectious disease or those with PE without infection based on review of their medical charts.RESULTS: Of 258 patients with PE, 67 (25.9%) were considered as having PE combined with infectious disease. The sites of infections were the respiratory tract in 52 patients (77.6%), genitourinary tract in three patients (4.5%), and hepatobiliary tract in three patients (4.5%). Underlying lung disease (odds ratio [OR], 3.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.926–7.081; p<0.001), bed-ridden state (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.390–5.811; p=0.004), and malignant disease (OR, 1.867; 95% CI, 1.017–3.425; p=0.044) were associated with combined infectious disease in patients with PE. In-hospital mortality was higher in patients with PE combined with infectious disease than in those with PE without infection (24.6% vs. 11.0%, p=0.006). In the multivariate analysis, combined infectious disease (OR, 4.189; 95% CI, 1.692–10.372; p=0.002) were associated with non-survivors in patients with PE.CONCLUSION: A substantial portion of patients with PE has concomitant infectious disease and it may contribute a mortality in patients with PE.