[en] Thymoma and thymic carcinomas are rare malignant tumors. Thymoma are relatively sensitive to chemotherapy, thymic carcinomas are more resistant. Chemotherapy is indicated in stage III as a part of a multimodality therapy or as a single treatment modality in stage IV. The effective cytostatics in monotherapy are doxorubicín, cisplatin, ifosfamid, paclitaxel, etopozide, 5-fluorouracil. In combination chemotherapy best results are achieved by PAC (cisplatin, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide) and ADOC (doxorubicin, cisplatin, vincristin and cyclophosphamide). Patients may often respond to multiple sequential therapies with single agents after progression on first line chemotherapy. Octreotide, alone or in combination with a corticosteroid may be a reasonable option for recurrent cases. Bronchial carcinoids account for 20 to 30 % of all well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors, they are the second most common carcinoid tumors after gastrointestinal carcinoids. With an incidence rate of 1,35 per 100,000 populations per year, it accounts for approximately 1 to 2 percent of all lung malignancies. About 80 – 90 % of all carcinoids are typical and 10 – 20 % are atypical. Chemotherapy has modest activity, optimal combination is unknown. Possible choices include doxorubicin, streptozotocin, 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin with etopozide, temozolomide, sunitinib, everolimus, interferon, somatostatin analogs, radionuclides – more often [177Lu-DOTA0,Tyr3]octreotate. (author)

[en] A bronchopleural fistula (BPF) following a pulmonary resection is relatively rare; however, it has high morbidity and mortality rates, despite advancements in treatment. Treatment options for a BPF include surgical procedures, conservative therapy, medical therapy, and in particular, the use of a bronchoscopy and different glues, coils, and sealants. This paper discusses a case of the treatment of a postoperative BPF, which is not identified on the bronchoscope, using a platinum vascular occlusion coil (microcoil) and N-butly-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) under fluoroscopic guidance. We hereby assert that such an approach as a combination might be an improvement to the minimally-invasive treatment methods currently in use

[en] Purpose: To assess interobserver agreement (IOA) in the diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates on chest X-rays for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Materials and methods: From 7/2002 to 12/2005, 806 adults with CAP were included in the multicenter study ''CAPNETZ'' (7 hospitals). Inclusion criteria were clinical signs of pneumonia and pulmonary opacification on chest X-rays. Each X-ray was reevaluated by two radiologists from the university hospital in consensus reading against the interpreter at the referring hospital in regard to: presence of infiltrate (yes/no/equivocal), transparency (≤/> 50%), localization, and pattern of infiltrates (alveolar/interstitial). The following parameters were documented: digital or film radiography, hospitalization, fever, findings of auscultation, microbiological findings. Results: The overall IOA concerning the detection of infiltrates was 77.7% (n 626; Cl 0.75 - 0.81), the infiltrates were not verified in 16.4% (n = 132) by the referring radiologist with equivocal findings in 5.9% (n = 48). The IOA of the different clinical centers varied between 63.2% (n = 38, Cl 0.48 - 0.78) and 92.3% (n = 65, Cl 0.86 - 0.99). The IOA for the diagnosis of infiltrates was significantly higher for inpatients with 82.6% (n = 546; Cl 0.80-0.85) than for outpatients with 55.2% (n = 80; Cl 0.47 - 0.63), p < 0.0001. The IOA of infiltrates with a transparency > 50% was 95.1% (n = 215; Cl 0.92 - 0.98) versus 80.4% (n = 403; Cl 0.77 - 0.84) for infiltrates with a transparency > 50% (p < 0.0001). In patients with positive auscultation, the IOA was higher (p = 0,034). Chest X-rays of patients with antibiotic therapy or an alveolar infiltrate showed more equivocal findings compared to patients without these features. Conclusion: There is considerable interobserver variability in the diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiographs. The IOA is higher in more opaque infiltrates, positive auscultation and inpatients. (orig.)

[en] The present study is an attempt to demonstrate the effect of view box illumination on diagnostic efficacy of chest radiographs by taking into account the factors of brightness intensity and uniformity of illumination under different viewing conditions

[en] To describe the radiologic findings of migrating lobar atelectasis of the right lung. Chest radiographs (n = 6) and CT scans (n = 5) of six patients with migrating lobar atelectasis of the right lung were analyzed retrospectively. The underlying diseases associated with lobar atelectasis were bronchogenic carcinoma (n = 4), bronchial tuberculosis (n = 1), and tracheobronchial amyloidosis (n = 1). Atelectasis involved the right upper lobe (RUL) (n = 3) and both the RUL and right middle lobe (RML) (n = 3). On supine anteroposterior radiographs (n = 5) and on an erect posteroanterior radiograph (n = 1), the atelectatic lobe(s) occupied the right upper lung zone, with a wedge shape abutting onto the right mediastinal border. On erect posteroanterior radiographs (n = 6), the heavy atelectatic lobe(s) migrated downward, forming a peri- or infrahilar area of increased opacity and obscuring the right cardiac margin. Erect lateral radiographs (n = 4) showed inferior shift of the anterosuperiorly located atelectatic lobe(s) to the anteroinferior portion of the hemithorax. Atelectatic lobe(s) can move within the hemithorax according to changes in a patient's position. This process nvolves the RUL or both the RUL and RML

[en] Objective: To investigate the changes of serum insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), CRP levels after treatment in pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia. Methods: Serum IGF-II levels were measured with RIA and serum CRP levels with immune method both before and after treatment in 33 pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia and 35 controls. Results: Before treatment the serum levels of IGF-II, CRP were significantly higher in the patients than those in controls (P <0.01). One week after completion of treatment the serum IGF-II, CRP levels returned to normal with no significant difference from those in the controls (P>0.05). Conclusion: Determination of serum IGF-II, CRP levels is clinically useful in the management of pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia. (authors)

[en] Bronchopneumonia is acute inflammation of the bronchioles which is characterized by multiple foci of isolated, acute consolidation that affects one or more pulmonary lobules. Objectives: To find out the determinants of bronchopneumonia in children up to 12 years visiting Mayo hospital from February to July 2013. Design: Population based case control study. Place: Lahore. Study Period: 06 months. Subjects and Methods: Population based case-control study with I:I case to control ratio was conducted. A total of 100 subjects (50 cases and 50 controls) were recruited in study. Selection was made on laid down criteria after taking due consent. Interviews were conducted through a pretested questionnaire. Data was collected, compiled and analyzed through SPSS version 20.After describing the demographic characteristics using frequency tables, simple and multivariate logistic regression were used to calculate odds ratio and their 95% confidence intervals. Results: In multivariate analysis, while controlling all other risk factors, prematurity (OR: 4.720 95% CI: 1.559 - 14.286) and poor access to health care (OR: 2.557 95% CI: 1.049 - 6.231) were found to be significantly associated with bronchopneumonia. (author)

[en] Many foals are suffering from respiratory diseases during their first months of live. Pneumonia is the most important of these diseases. Thoracic radiography improves the diagnosis of foals respiratory diseases markedly. Within 4 years the thorax of 76 foals were examined radiologically. Pneumonia were diagnosed in 53 foals (69,7 %), there was the alveolar pattern (7 cases), the interstitial pattern (30) and the mixed alveolar-interstitial pattern (10). Further diagnoses were bronchopneumonia (11), aspiration pneumonia (5), lung abscesse (5) and hydrothorax (2). Thoracic radiography is a fast, non-invasive method of investigation, even applicable in very severely affected foals

No abstract available

[en] The authors from the Thoracic Surgery Department of University Hospital in Bratislava introduced the method in April 2012. VATS lobectomies are standardized curative procedures in the treatment of early stages of lung carcinoma in experienced centres all over the world. The thoracoscopic approach leads to the reduction of negative influences on the patient‘s immune system in comparison with open operations. It lowers the risk of complications during the healing process. Oncological principles of radicality are not compromised with this method, moreover, the removal of lymph nodes is more effective than with the open approach. The authors performed 62 VATS lobectomies in the period from April 2012 to the end of August 2015. Conversion to open thoracotomy was necessary six times, twice because of dense adhesions, twice due to strong bleeding, once due to a massive air leak and once because of progression of the cancer. Eight postoperative complications were noticed. VATS lobectomies were performed for both malignant and benign lesions. VATS resections seem to be a beneficial procedure for the patient because of shorter hospital stay, lower morbidity and mortality, improved lung functions and better recovery. There is a better chance for the patient to receive adjuvant therapy faster, which means better a survival rate. (author)