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BACKGROUND: According to several phase III studies, tiotropium [a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA)] is a well-tolerated add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for asthmatics with or without the addition of long-acting beta2-agonists (LABAs). However, real-world studies based on clinical phenotypes to predict the long-term need of tiotropium as an add-on therapy for asthmatics are limited. METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted at a single medical center in Taiwan from July 2016 to July 2018. An asthma control test (ACT) is applied to uncontrolled asthmatics to evaluate the effectiveness of tiotropium as an add-on therapy. Asthmatic subgroups with different clinical phenotypes and needing long-term tiotropium as a maintenance treatment are identified. The effectiveness of tiotropium add-on therapy is defined as an improvement of ACT score ≥3 points 3 months after the treatment (vs. baseline), while the long-term requirement of tiotropium is defined as tiotropium dependency >1 year. RESULTS: The study analyzed a total of 160 uncontrolled asthmatics regardless of low- or medium-to-high-dose ICS plus LABA. One hundred and twelve patients responded well (ACT score increased ≥3 points) to tiotropium. These patients were further divided into two subgroups: one with tiotropium add-on therapy for ≥1 year due to patients’ difficulties in stepping down from tiotropium; the other with tiotropium add-on therapy for 30 kg/m(2) were predictors for asthmatics requiring long-term tiotropium add-on therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Tiotropium add-on therapy is effective for uncontrolled asthmatics. Moreover, patients with ACO, initial FEV1% predicted 30 kg/m(2) require long-term tiotropium add-on therapy for asthma control.

OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that specific endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) features may differentiate sarcoidosis from other causes of lymphadenopathy. METHODS We conducted this retrospective observational study from January 2014 to January 2019 to analyze patients with intrathoracic lymphadenopathy who underwent EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. Ultrasound features, including nodal size, margin, echogenicity, the presence or absence of calcification, a central hilar structure, the coagulation necrosis sign, nodal conglomeration, and the septal vessel sign in the color Doppler mode were recorded and compared between 3 groups. RESULTS Of the 90 included patients, 15 had a diagnosis of tuberculosis; 56 had a diagnosis of sarcoidosis; and 19 had a diagnosis of malignant lymph nodes by EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. The presence of nodal conglomeration (94.6% versus 60.0% versus 5.3%; P

A 47-year-old man, with a 10-year history of alcohol consumption, presented with a left cheek swelling for 14 days following self-extraction of two teeth. On the day of admission, he developed a low-grade fever, delirium and left eye proptosis (figure 1A). Laboratory analysis showed a white cell count of 21.6×109 cells/L with 79.8% neutrophils. C-reactive protein was 26.3 mg/dL. Blood chemistries were within normal limits except creatinine 2.2 mg/dL and sodium 128 mmol/L. CT imaging of the brain revealed left superior and inferior ophthalmic vein engorgement (figure 1B), suspected cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) related and a tissue swelling over left pterygoid muscles, consistent with an abscess (figure 1C, arrow). Chest X-ray revealed mass-like lesions over the left-upper and right-lower lung fields (figure 1D). Figure 1 A 47-year-old man developed a …

Background Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) has emerged as a new bronchoscopic procedure which can improve specimen size and obtain crush artifact-free tissue to increase diagnostic yield in various diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLDs). However, TBLC has been associated with a higher incidence of complications, and variability in diagnostic yield. Radial probe endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) may be able to overcome these problems. We evaluated the safety and feasibility of TBLC in combination with R-EBUS to diagnose DPLDs.Methods We conducted this retrospective study at a single medical center from January 2015 to March 2019. Patients with DPLDs who underwent R-EBUS to locate target lesions and confirm the absence of adjacent vessels, followed by sampling with conventional transbronchial lung forceps biopsy (TBLB) and cryobiopsy (TBLC) were enrolled. TBLC and TBLB samples were sent to the pathology department for diagnostic analysis. The sample size, diagnostic yield and complications after the procedure were recorded.Results A total 30 patients with DPLD were analyzed, of whom 17 had diffuse lung infiltrates and 13 had pulmonary nodules/masses. The overall diagnostic rate was 80% (24/30) and the diagnostic yield increased from 46.7% with the forceps biopsy to 73.3% after adding cryobiopsy (p=0.038). Compared to conventional transbronchial biopsy with forceps, cryobiopsy provided a larger specimen and sample volume (40 mm3 vs 6 mm3; p

BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced esophageal cancer and airway involvement have a poor prognosis. Self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) implantation via bronchoscopy can immediately relieve airway stenosis and improve survival. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that predict survival in patients with airway involvement due to advanced esophageal cancer after SEMS implantation. METHODS: We conducted this retrospective study from February 2007 to October 2013 at a university hospital. Forty-two patients with advanced esophageal cancer and airway involvement were included. The patients underwent flexible bronchoscopy with electrosurgery and SEMS implantation under bronchoscopic visualization and local anesthesia with no fluoroscopic guidance throughout the procedure. RESULTS: Acute respiratory failure (ARF) occurred in 14 patients (33.3%). After SEMS implantation, 28 patients (66.7%) received additional anti-cancer therapy. The median survival after the procedure was 83 days. A longer survival was seen in the patients who received further anti-cancer therapy [hazard ratio (HR), 0.146; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.06–0.34; P

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease diagnosed pathologically by the build up of surfactant in the alveolar spaces. Establishing a diagnosis usually requires invasive procedures such as bronchoalveolar lavage and forceps biopsy to obtain tissue specimens. Infrequently, surgery is required when histopathological results from other modalities are equivocal. Cryobiopsy has emerged as a novel technique for obtaining lung tissues in pulmonary diseases. Recently, cryobiopsy has been used to diagnose diffuse parenchymal lung disease, but it has rarely been used for the diagnosis of PAP. Here, we describe a 54-year-old male businessman presenting with intermittent coughing with yellowish sputum and dyspnoea upon exertion for half a year. Tissues from forceps biopsy fail to yield a specific diagnosis, whereas those from cryobiopsy confirm the diagnosis of PAP. Cryobiopsy offers several diagnostic advantages compared to conventional techniques and appears to be a potential diagnostic tool for diagnosing PAP.