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Query: UMLS:C0034069 (pulmonary fibrosis)
 7,050 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The Strongyloides stercoralis infection is a prominent cause of death in many areas of the world. A 64-year-old man with pulmonary fibrosis was admitted to the hospital because of progressive shortness of breath and increasing cough. The patient had been previously admitted for his illness and had a remarkable immunosuppression due to the use of steroids (CD4+ lymphocytes = 200 x 10(6)/l). Repeated sputum and stool studies were diagnostic for strongyloidiasis. The patient died suddenly from severe cardiorespiratory failure while he was under mebendazole treatment (100 mg b.i.d.). Strongyloidiasis occurs mostly in immunocompromised hosts, as in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases on long-term treatment with corticosteroids, oncology patients under treatment and patients with AIDS.
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PMID:Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection in a case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. 876 80

A 64-year-old woman had been feeding more than 60 pigeons in a coop in her back yard for 35 years. Diffuse reticulonodular shadows were found on a chest radiograph obtained as part of an annual check-up eight years before admission to the hospital. She was given a tentative diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and was observed. She was admitted to our hospital because she noticed dry coughing and shortness of breath. A chest CT scan revealed segmentally distributed honeycombing and bronchi-bronchioloectasis. Tests for IgA and IgG antibodies to extracts of pigeon droppings in serum samples and in samples of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were strongly positive, as were tests for lymphocyte blastogenic responses to samples of pigeon serum Examination of lung-biopsy specimens obtained by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery revealed bronchiolitis, alveolitis, and honeycombing in a centrilobular distribution. The patient was given a diagnosis of pigeon-breeder's disease. Chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis without acute episodes might be misdiagnosed as idiopathic interstitial pneumonia or bronchiectasis, as happened in this case. The possibility of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis should be considered when patients are suspected to have pulmonary fibrosis. It is important to obtain the detailed information on past or current avian contact, working history, and the home environment.
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PMID:[An elderly woman with chronic pigeon-breeder's disease]. 946 17

Many uranium miners have been disabled by and died of pulmonary fibrosis that was not recognized as an occupational disease. A review of animal studies, complications from whole body irradiation, pulmonary function, and mortality studies of uranium miners led us to suspect radiation-induced chronic diffuse interstitial fibrosis in miners who had inhaled excessive radon progeny. A selected group of uranium miners (22) with severe respiratory disease (but no rounded nodules in chest films) were studied. Lung tissue from five disclosed severe diffuse interstitial fibrosis, with "honeycomb lung" in all. Some also had small anthrasilicotic nodules and birefringent crystals. Although quartz crystals probably contributed, we concluded that the predominant injurious agent in these cases was alpha particles from radon progeny. This disease, after a long latent period, usually results in pulmonary hypertension, shortness of breath, and death by cardiopulmonary failure.
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PMID:Chronic diffuse interstitial fibrosis of the lung in uranium miners. 960 84

Classical radiation pneumonitis has been described after single dose whole lung irradiation in experimental animals where above a threshold dose of irradiation, there is a sigmoid dose response curve with increasing morbidity and mortality. After clinical fractionated irradiation, however, acute radiation pneumonitis consisting of cough shortness of breath and patchy radiological changes, occurs in <10% of patients, has dyspnoea out of proportion to the volume of lung irradiated and usually resolves completely without long-term effects. There is increasing evidence that this represents a bilateral lymphocytic alveolitis or hypersensitivity pneumonitis and has been termed sporadic pneumonitis. Late radiation toxicity results in pulmonary fibrosis. This is a consequence of repair, which is initiated by tissue injury within the radiation portal. It follows release of chemotactic factors for fibroblasts including transforming growth factor-beta, fibronectin and platelet derived growth factor. Radiation fibrosis is the clinically more significant syndrome for patients. It may result in progressive dyspnoea and mortality in patients. The most predictable change in laboratory lung function tests is a decrease in transfer factor due to damage at the capillary-alveolar level. It also results in decreased lung compliance, which will affect the total lung capacity and the forced vital capacity. The forced expiratory volume in 1 s is less affected, although this seems to depend on the volume of lung irradiated. There is also a decrease in perfusion in the irradiated lung. Radiation fibrosis seems to depend, amongst other factors, on the volume of lung, which is irradiated above a threshold of 20-30 Gy. The morbidity of radiation fibrosis may therefore be minimized by the use of dose volume histogram to minimize the volume of normal lung irradiated in patients at high risk, e.g., patients with who present with poor lung function. The importance of the baseline perfusion in the irradiated areas continues to be studied.
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PMID:Lung toxicity following chest irradiation in patients with lung cancer. 1180 81

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in the acute phase. Worldwide case fatality rate is 11% (range 7 to 27%) for the most severely affected regions. Several adverse prognostic factors have been identified, including advanced age, presence of comorbidity, higher lactose dehydrogenase levels and initial neutrophil count, but the impact of viral and other host factors on outcome is unknown. Published data on sequelae of SARS are limited. Clinical follow-up of patients who recovered from SARS has demonstrated radiological, functional and psychological abnormalities of varying degrees. In the early rehabilitation phase, many complained of limitations in physical function from general weakness and/or shortness of breath. In a small series of subjects who underwent CT scan of the chest, over half showed some patchy changes consistent with pulmonary fibrosis. Lung function testing at 6-8 weeks after hospital discharge showed mild or moderate restrictive pattern consistent with muscle weakness in 6-20% of subjects. Mild decrease in carbon monoxide diffusing capacity was detected in a minority of subjects. Preliminary evidence suggests that these lung function abnormalities will improve over time. Psychobehavioural problems of anxiety and/or depression were not uncommon in the early recovery phase, and improved over time in the majority of patients. Avascular necrosis of the hip has been reported as another complication. The long-term sequelae of SARS are still largely unknown. It is important to follow up these patients to detect and appropriately manage any persistent or emerging long-term sequelae in the physical, psychological and social domains.
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PMID:SARS: prognosis, outcome and sequelae. 3307 3

Primary exposure to asbestos in India can be encountered in the form of asbestos mining, asbestos cement industries, asbestos processing unit and during renovation and demolition of old asbestos cemented roof or other structures as well as modern electrical as well as mechanical appliances in which asbestos is still found. Ultimately construction workers, electricians, vehicle mechanics and other workers in the building trades who are exposed to asbestos inhale hundreds and thousands of amphiboles, which causes lung damage. It is being mined in India at places such as Andhra Pradesh (Pulivendla), Jharkand (Roro), Rajasthan (Ajmer, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Rajsamand) and the common problem faced by the locals are asbestosis through air and fluorosis through drinking water. The problem continues to be in India as well as other developing countries. Also, India import and re-export asbestos to other countries and workers at shipyard, transport of the hazardous material on road and roadside residents all are vulnerable to this uncommon disease. The signs and symptoms generally found with the workers are shortness of breath, persistent and productive cough due to pulmonary fibrosis can show up many years after the asbestos exposure.
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PMID:Asbestos problem in India. 1595 Aug 10

Thyrotoxicosis due to functioning metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is exceedingly rare. We report a case of follicular carcinoma in a 54-year-old manager, who presented with thyrotoxicosis, shortness of breath and lung metastases. Transbronchial biopsy of a pulmonary nodule demonstrated normal thyroid. This was interpreted as representing very well-differentiated thyroid cancer. CT, (131)I whole-body imaging and dosimetry is described following total thyroidectomy and repeated radioiodine administration (cumulative activity 34.6 GBq). The patient became asymptomatic with almost complete eradication of the pulmonary metastases. Potential complications of thyroid storm, bone marrow failure and pulmonary fibrosis following radioiodine are discussed, together with methods to minimise these risks.
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PMID:Differentiated thyroid cancer presenting with thyrotoxicosis due to functioning metastases. 1749 53

Combined interstitial lung disease and the presence of 'mechanic's hands' could be a clinical clue in the early diagnosis of the rare disease, amyopathic antisynthetase syndrome for which anti-Jo-1 antibody is a useful diagnostic tool. The case is reported of a patient who suffered from shortness of breath and dry cough, with pulmonary fibrosis on CXR and CT scan, and interstitial pneumonitis on trans-bronchial biopsy. She was also positive for anti-Jo-1 and anti-Ro antibodies. 'Mechanic's hands' were noted bilaterally but with no evidence of myopathy in either the electromyogram or on muscle biopsy. The patient was treated with prednisolone and her clinical picture, including the 'mechanic's hands' and lung fibrosis, subsided gradually, suggesting that the sign may be a useful follow up tool in this disease. Early diagnosis and corticosteroid therapy could be beneficial for these patients.
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PMID:Combined lung fibrosis and 'mechanic's hand': a clinical diagnostic clue to amyopathic antisynthetase syndrome. 1849 52

Nano materials generate great benefits as well as new potential risks. Animal studies and in vitro experiments show that nanoparticles can result in lung damage and other toxicity, but no reports on the clinical toxicity in humans due to nanoparticles have yet been made. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between a group of workers' presenting with mysterious symptomatic findings and their nanoparticle exposure. Seven young female workers (aged 18-47 yrs), exposed to nanoparticles for 5-13 months, all with shortness of breath and pleural effusions were admitted to hospital. Immunological tests, examinations of bacteriology, virology and tumour markers, bronchoscopy, internal thoracoscopy and video-assisted thoracic surgery were performed. Surveys of the workplace, clinical observations and examinations of the patients were conducted. Polyacrylate, consisting of nanoparticles, was confirmed in the workplace. Pathological examinations of patients' lung tissue displayed nonspecific pulmonary inflammation, pulmonary fibrosis and foreign-body granulomas of pleura. Using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticles were observed to lodge in the cytoplasm and caryoplasm of pulmonary epithelial and mesothelial cells, but are also located in the chest fluid. These cases arouse concern that long-term exposure to some nanoparticles without protective measures may be related to serious damage to human lungs.
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PMID:Exposure to nanoparticles is related to pleural effusion, pulmonary fibrosis and granuloma. 2059 74

Persons with HIV infection have a higher risk of infectious pulmonary complications, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis than individuals not infected with HIV. Herein, we describe the clinical course of a patient with longstanding and well-controlled HIV infection and multiple previous pneumothoraces who presented to medical attention with insidious onset of shortness of breath and was diagnosed with vanishing lung syndrome (VLS). The VLS or giant bullous emphysema is a distinct clinical syndrome characterized by large bullae, predominantly in the upper lobes, occupying at least one third of the hemithorax and compressing surrounding normal lung parenchyma. It is a progressive disorder that typically occurs in young men, the majority of whom are smokers. As people with HIV/AIDS are now surviving well into middle age and beyond, clinicians are more likely to encounter VLS and severe obstructive lung disease, which are potentially fatal but preventable conditions.
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PMID:Vanishing lung syndrome and HIV infection: an uncommon yet potentially fatal sequela of cigarette smoking. 2256 98


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