Search

External beam radiation therapy (RT) can induce toxicity in patients surgically treated for breast cancer. Modern irradiation techniques have lowered the incidence and severity of radiation-induced injuries; however, their side effects on normal tissues remain challenging. This review illustrates early and late changes observed using ultrasound (US) imaging, including echocardiography, at the skin, muscle, pleura, lungs, and heart levels. The US findings and the potential role of this technique in detecting and grading early and late complications of RT are highlighted in this article. US has proven useful in the differential diagnosis of post-RT complications, including but not limited to cancer recurrence and toxicity from other sources, such as anticancer drugs. Additionally, considering the progressive nature of RT-induced injury, early detection of toxicity may be helpful in the individual stratification of damage risk and serve as a tool for patient screening and management. In these cases, US can be used as a radiation-free biomarker of RT side effects at the subclinical stage., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Korean Society of Radiology.)

Objectives: To explore the role of nodule-pleural relationship, including nodule with pleural tail sign (PTS), nodule with pleural contact and nodule with pleural unrelated in CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB)-induced pneumothorax, and whether employing different puncture routes has an impact on the incidence of pneumothorax in PTNB of nodules with PTS., Methods: Between April 1, 2019, to June 30, 2021, 775 consecutive PTNB procedures of pulmonary nodules in the Peking University Cancer Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The univariate and multivariate regression analysis were used to identify the risk factors for pneumothorax in PTNB., Results: The nodule with pleural contact group has a lower incidence of pneumothorax than the nodule with PTS group (p = 0.001) and the nodule with pleural unrelated group (p = 0.002). It was observed that a higher incidence of pneumothorax caused by crossing PTS compared with no crossing PTS (p < 0.001). Independent risk factors for pneumothorax included crossing PTS (p < 0.001), perifocal emphysema (p < 0.001), biopsy side up (p < 0.001), longer puncture time (p < 0.001), deeper needle insertion depth (intrapulmonary) (p < 0.001) and nodules in the middle or lower lobe (p = 0.007)., Conclusion: Patients with crossing PTS, a nodule in the middle or lower lobe, longer puncture time, biopsy side up, deeper needle insertion depth (intrapulmonary), and perifocal emphysema were more likely to experience pneumothorax in PTNB. When performing the biopsy on a nodule with PTS, selecting a route that avoids crossing through the PTS may be advisable to reduce the risk of pneumothorax., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is prevalent in livestock farming regions around the world. However, it remains relatively rare compared to other infectious diseases. CE typically affects the liver, lungs, brain, and kidneys. Spinal and pleural wall involvement is exceedingly rare. We report a unique case of intradural and pleural wall CE in a young male, successfully treated with surgery and postoperative medication., Case Presentation: A 19-year-old Tibetan male from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was diagnosed with intradural and pleural wall CE through imaging, serology, and surgical pathology. According to the Dew/Braithwaite & Lees (BL) classification, his condition was an exceptionally rare form of spinal echinococcosis, compounded by an even rarer pleural wall involvement. Prompt surgical intervention and postoperative medication resulted in significant improvement in spinal cord compression symptoms., Conclusions: This case highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of rare CE locations. MRI proved superior to CT in diagnosing bony cystic echinococcosis. Early surgical intervention combined with medication facilitates spinal cord function recovery, providing valuable insights for managing similar cases., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance and procedural characteristics of fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous transthoracic pleural forceps biopsy (PTPFB) in patients with exudative pleural effusion., Materials and Methods: Patients with exudative pleural effusion who underwent PTPFB between May 1, 2014, and February 28, 2023, were included in this retrospective study. The interval between percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) and PTPFB, number of biopsies, procedural time, and procedure-related complications were evaluated. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of diagnosing malignancy were computed for pleural cytology using PCD drainage, PTPFB, and combined PTPFB and pleural cytology., Results: Seventy-one patients, comprising 50 male and 21 female (mean age, 69.5 ± 15.3 years), were included in this study. The final diagnoses were benign lesions in 48 patients (67.6%) and malignant in 23 patients (32.4%). The overall interval between PCD and biopsy was 2.4 ± 3.7 days. The interval between PCD and biopsy in the group that underwent delayed PTPFB was 5.2 ± 3.9 days. The mean number of biopsies was 4.5 ± 1.3. The mean procedural time was 4.4 ± 2.1 minutes. Minor bleeding complications were reported in one patient (1.4%). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for pleural cytology, PTPFB, and combined PTPFB and pleural cytology were 47.8% (11/23), 100% (48/48), and 83.1% (59/71), respectively; 65.2% (15/23), 100% (48/48), and 88.7% (63/71), respectively; and 78.3% (18/23), 100% (48/48), and 93.0% (66/71), respectively. The sensitivity and accuracy of cytology combined with PTPFB were significantly higher than those of cytological testing alone ( P = 0.008 and 0.001, respectively)., Conclusion: Fluoroscopy-guided PTPFB is an accurate and safe diagnostic technique for patients with exudative pleural effusion, with acceptable diagnostic performance, low complication rates, and reasonable procedural times., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Korean Society of Radiology.)

Rheumatoid pleurisy is common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but distinguishing it from other diseases, such as heart failure and tuberculous pleurisy, is often difficult. A man in his 70s with stable rheumatoid arthritis presented with cardiac enlargement and bilateral pleural effusion on chest radiography. Pleural fluid studies showed lymphocytosis, adenosine deaminase level of 51.6 U/L and rheumatoid factor level of 2245.3 IU/mL, suggestive of rheumatoid pleurisy and tuberculous pleurisy. Thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia revealed erythema of the parietal pleura, small papillary projections and fibrin deposits. H&E-stained biopsy specimens showed inflammatory granulomas with strong lymphocytic infiltration and non-caseating granulomas. He was diagnosed with rheumatoid pleurisy. His symptoms improved with 30 mg of prednisolone. This study highlights that biopsy using thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia effectively diagnoses rheumatoid pleurisy, which may be challenging to diagnose., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The diagnostic complexities that arise in radiographic distinction between ectopic pleural thymoma and other thoracic neoplasms are substantial, with instances of co-occurring T-cell lymphocytosis and osseous metastasis being exceedingly rare., Case Presentation: A 51-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with dyspnea and chest pain. Upon imaging examination, she was found to have diffuse and nodular pleural thickening on the left side, collapse of the left lung and a compression in the second thoracic vertebrae. All lesions showed significant 18 F-FDG uptake on 18 F-FDG PET/CT examination. Furthermore, she exhibited T-cell lymphocytosis in her peripheral blood, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. After ruling out malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), lung cancer with pleural metastasis, and T-cell lymphoma, the definitive diagnosis asserted was ectopic pleural thymoma with T-cell lymphocytosis and bone metastasis., Conclusion: Physicians need to expand their knowledge of the imaging features of ectopic pleural thymoma. Cases with T-cell lymphocytosis may exhibit increased aggressiveness and prone to bone metastasis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Accurate prediction of visceral pleural invasion (VPI) in lung adenocarcinoma before operation can provide guidance and help for surgical operation and postoperative treatment. We investigate the value of intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics nomograms for preoperatively predicting the status of VPI in patients diagnosed with clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma., Methods: A total of 404 patients from our hospital were randomly assigned to a training set (n = 283) and an internal validation set (n = 121) using a 7:3 ratio, while 81 patients from two other hospitals constituted the external validation set. We extracted 1218 CT-based radiomics features from the gross tumor volume (GTV) as well as the gross peritumoral tumor volume (GPTV 5 , 10 , 15 ), respectively, and constructed radiomic models. Additionally, we developed a nomogram based on relevant CT features and the radscore derived from the optimal radiomics model., Results: The GPTV 10 radiomics model exhibited superior predictive performance compared to GTV, GPTV 5 , and GPTV 15 , with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.855, 0.842, and 0.842 in the three respective sets. In the clinical model, the solid component size, pleural indentation, solid attachment, and vascular convergence sign were identified as independent risk factors among the CT features. The predictive performance of the nomogram, which incorporated relevant CT features and the GPTV 10 -radscore, outperformed both the radiomics model and clinical model alone, with AUC values of 0.894, 0.828, and 0.876 in the three respective sets., Conclusions: The nomogram, integrating radiomics features and CT morphological features, exhibits good performance in predicting VPI status in lung adenocarcinoma., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The preoperative determination of visceral pleural invasion (VPI) in patients with malignant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) is essential for determining the surgical range and selecting adjuvant chemotherapy., Objectives: This study aimed to systematically investigate risk factors of VPI in patients with SPN and construct a preoperative predictive model for such patients., Design: This is a retrospective study. The clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics of study subjects were reviewed, and the groups with and without VPI were compared., Methods: Multivariate logistic analysis was utilized to identify independent risk factors for VPI. Moreover, a predictive nomogram was constructed to assess the likelihood of VPI occurrence., Results: Of the 364 enrolled cases, SPNs adjacent to the pleura with VPI were found in 110 (30.2%) patients. By incorporating four preoperative variables, including tumor diameter (>2 cm), maximum computed tomography value (>200 Hu), air bronchogram sign, and age, a preoperative predictive nomogram was constructed. The nomogram demonstrated good discriminative ability, with a C-index of 0.736 (95% CI (0.662-0.790)). Furthermore, our data indicated that the air bronchogram sign (odd ratio (OR) 1.81, 95% CI (0.99-3.89), p  = 0.048), a maximum diameter >2 cm (OR 24.48, 95% CI (8.43-71.07), p  < 0.001), pathological type (OR 5.01, 95% CI (2.61-9.64), p  < 0.001), and Ki-67 >30% (OR 2.95, 95% CI (1.40-6.21), p  = 0.004) were overall independent risk factors for VPI., Conclusion: This study investigated the risk factors for VPI in malignant SPNs touching the pleural surface. Additionally, a nomogram was developed to predict the likelihood of VPI in such patients, facilitating informed decision-making regarding surgical approaches and treatment protocols.

Retained hemothorax (RH) is a commonly encountered and potentially severe complication of intrapleural bleeding that can organize with lung restriction. Early surgical intervention and intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy have been advocated. However, the lack of a reliable, cost-effective model amenable to interventional testing has hampered our understanding of the role of pharmacological interventions in RH management. Here, we report the development of a new RH model in rabbits. RH was induced by sequential administration of up to three doses of recalcified citrated homologous rabbit donor blood plus thrombin via a chest tube. RH at 4, 7, and 10 days post-induction (RH4, RH7, and RH10, respectively) was characterized by clot retention, intrapleural organization, and increased pleural rind, similar to that of clinical RH. Clinical imaging techniques such as ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) revealed the dynamic formation and resorption of intrapleural clots over time and the resulting lung restriction. RH7 and RH10 were evaluated in young (3 mo) animals of both sexes. The RH7 recapitulated the most clinically relevant RH attributes; therefore, we used this model further to evaluate the effect of age on RH development. Sanguineous pleural fluids (PFs) in the model were generally small and variably detected among different models. The rabbit model PFs exhibited a proinflammatory response reminiscent of human hemothorax PFs. Overall, RH7 results in the consistent formation of durable intrapleural clots, pleural adhesions, pleural thickening, and lung restriction. Protracted chest tube placement over 7 d was achieved, enabling direct intrapleural access for sampling and treatment. The model, particularly RH7, is amenable to testing new intrapleural pharmacologic interventions, including iterations of currently used empirically dosed agents or new candidates designed to safely and more effectively clear RH.

Ewing sarcoma (ES) was first reported by Ewing in 1921. It is the second largest malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents, typically occurring in the bones of trunk or limbs . Extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma (EES) was first reported by Tefft et al. in 1969 and is extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% of all sarcomas. It can occur in any part of soft tissue, mostly in the trunk and lower limbs, and rarely in the pleura. We report a 22-year-old case of extraosseous Ewing sarcoma of pleural origin discovered and pathologically confirmed by physical examination. We report its CT manifestations and pathological results, and review the literature to summarize and analyze the clinical and imaging characteristics of extraosseous Ewing sarcoma, in order to improve our understanding of the disease., (Copyright Journal of Radiology Case Reports.)

Background: Idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (IPPFE) is a very rare and a slowly conspicuous progressing chronic lung disease, which usually involves the upper lobes of the lung. This unusual disease, first recognized as a rare idiopathic interstitial pneumonia in 2013, is characterized by dense fibrosis of the visceral pleura and the subjacent lung parenchyma accompanied by elastosis predominating in the subpleural alveolar walls. In the interest of improving our understanding of this uncommon disease, we report a case of IPPFE established by pathology results. Case report: A 73-year-old male patient, smoker, with a medical history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, presented since January 2022 with a gradual worsening of dyspnea on exertion and productive cough with weight loss. The chest X-ray detected a thoracic distention. The chest high resolution computed tomography revealed biapical subpleural parenchymatous condensations with tractive bronchiectasis and pleural retraction in the right upper lobe and diffuse bilateral cento-lobular emphysema. A scan-guided trans-parietal lung biopsy showed lung parenchyma tattooed with anthracosic deposits, largely remodeled by fibrous tissue, intermingled with numerous wavy and refractive dyselastotic structures in polarized light. The orcein staining confirmed the presence of excess elastosic fibers within these lesions. All etiological investigations were negative. His lung function studies revealed a reversible obstructive ventilatory disorder. Following a multidisciplinary discussion, the diagnosis of IPPFE was confirmed on the basis of the distribution in the upper lungs on chest computed tomography combined with pathology pattern. Conclusions: This case emphasizes the atypical misleading radiological presentation of IPPFE and the key role of pathological results in establishing the diagnosis. Hence, further studies are needed to improve our understanding of this uncommon disease and to establish clear-cut guidelines for IPPFE diagnosis and management., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2023 Daboussi S et al.)

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) is a rare condition characterized by pleural and subpleural lung fibroelastosis with an upper lobe predominance. We present the third case of idiopathic PPFE from India, as well as the second ante-mortem diagnosis. A 27-year-old man presented with a 1-year history of modified Medical Research Council class II shortness of breath and dry cough. He described a 15-kg weight loss. After a clinico-radiological diagnosis, he was given anti-tubercular treatment and referred because he showed no improvement. A high-resolution computed tomography of the chest revealed bilateral upper lobe bullae, parenchymal and subpleural fibrosis, and irregular pleural thickening. PPFE was found in surgical lung and pleural biopsies. He was given systemic glucocorticoids but did not respond clinically or radiologically. Pirfenidone and a lung transplant were out of reach for him. He died 9 months after being diagnosed with his condition. Finally, idiopathic PPFE is an extremely rare entity, with only three cases reported from our subcontinent. As a result, it is easily underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed; clinician awareness of this condition is critical for better diagnosis and management.

Purpose: Preoperative prediction of visceral pleural invasion (VPI) is important because it enables thoracic surgeons to choose appropriate surgical plans. This study aimed to develop and validate a multivariate logistic regression model incorporating the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) and valuable computed tomography (CT) signs for the non-invasive prediction of VPI status in subpleural clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma patients before surgery., Methods: A total of 140 patients with subpleural clinical stage IA peripheral lung adenocarcinoma were recruited and divided into a training set (n = 98) and a validation set (n = 42), according to the positron emission tomography/CT examination temporal sequence, with a 7:3 ratio. Next, VPI-positive and VPI-negative groups were formed based on the pathological results. In the training set, the clinical information, the SUV max , the relationship between the tumor and the pleura, and the CT features were analyzed using univariate analysis. The variables with significant differences were included in the multivariate analysis to construct a prediction model. A nomogram based on multivariate analysis was developed, and its predictive performance was verified in the validation set., Results: The size of the solid component, the consolidation-to-tumor ratio, the solid component pleural contact length, the SUVmax, the density type, the pleural indentation, the spiculation, and the vascular convergence sign demonstrated significant differences between VPI-positive (n = 40) and VPI-negative (n = 58) cases on univariate analysis in the training set. A multivariate logistic regression model incorporated the SUV max [odds ratio (OR): 1.753, P = 0.002], the solid component pleural contact length (OR: 1.101, P = 0.034), the pleural indentation (OR: 5.075, P = 0.041), and the vascular convergence sign (OR: 13.324, P = 0.025) as the best combination of predictors, which were all independent risk factors for VPI in the training group. The nomogram indicated promising discrimination, with an area under the curve value of 0.892 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.813-0.946] in the training set and 0.885 (95% CI, 0.748-0.962) in the validation set. The calibration curve demonstrated that its predicted probabilities were in acceptable agreement with the actual probability. The decision curve analysis illustrated that the current nomogram would add more net benefit., Conclusion: The nomogram integrating the SUV max and the CT features could non-invasively predict VPI status before surgery in subpleural clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Visceral pleural invasion (VPI) is one of the negative prognostic factors of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With the popularization of computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer, more and more ground-glass nodule (GGN) have been found. However, it remains unclear whether the relationship between the pleural deformation of lung cancer manifesting as ground-glass opacity (GGO) and VPI affects the effect of sub-lobectomy, which is reviewed in this paper.
.

Background: Pleural deformation is associated with the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma(LAC). Our study focused on the pathological components of the area adjacent pleura in pulmonary pure ground-glass nodules(pGGNs) with pleural deformations(P-pGGNs) confirmed to be invasive LAC without visceral pleural invasion (VPI) pathologically., Methods: Computed tomography(CT) imaging features of nodules and pathological components of the area adjacent pleura were analyzed and recorded. Statistical analysis was performed for subgroups of P-pGGNs., Results: The 81 enrolled patients with 81 P-pGGNs were finally involved in the analysis. None of solid/micropapillary group and none of VPI was observed, 54 alveoli/lepidics and 27 acinar/papillarys were observed. In P-pGGN with acinar/papillary components of the area adjacent pleura, invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) was more common compared to minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA, 74.07% vs. 25.93%; p < 0.001). The distance in alveoli/lepidic group was significantly larger (1.50 mm vs. 0.00 mm; p < 0.001) and the depth was significantly smaller (2.00 mm vs. 6.00 mm; p < 0.001) than that in acinar/papillary group. The CT attenuation value, maximum diameter and maximum vertical diameter was valuable to distinguish acinar/papillary group form alveoli/lepidic group(p < 0.05). The type d pleural deformation was the common pleural deformation in IAC(p = 0.028)., Conclusions: The pathological components of the area adjacent pleura in P-pGGN without VPI confirmed to be invasive LAC could included alveoli/lepidics and acinar/papillarys. Some CT indicators that can identify the pathological invasive components of the area adjacent pleura in P-pGGNs., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: There are increasing numbers of studies of pleural tags (PTs). The purpose of this case series was to classify the PTs in patients with peripheral pulmonary adenocarcinoma based on radiologic-pathologic comparison and to study the prognosis., Methods: The clinical, imaging, pathological and prognostic data of 161 patients with peripheral pulmonary adenocarcinoma in three hospitals were analyzed retrospectively. We classified PTs using computed tomography (CT) for pathologic comparison., Results: According to the relationship between tumors and pleural on CT images, PTs were classified into four types: type 1, one or more linear pleural tag; type 2, one or more linear pleural tag with soft tissue component at the pleural end; type 3, one soft tissue cord-like pleural tag; type 4, directly abutting the visceral pleura, pulling or pushing the visceral pleura. In these PTs, the incidence of visceral pleural invasion (VPI) was high in type 2 (46.88%) and type 3 (56.41%) of PTs. Our prognostic analysis showed that micropapillary or solid histological subtype (HR = 5.766, 95% CI: 1.435-23.159, P = 0.014) and type 3 of PTs (HR = 11.058, 95% CI: 1.349-90.623, P = 0.025) were two independent risk factors for tumor progression., Conclusions: PT is a risk factor for poor prognosis in patients with peripheral pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the presence of which on CT images can remind us to provide patients with a more reasonable treatment., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

To explore the value of ultrasonography in the auxiliary diagnosis of pleural effusion, we retrospectively analyzed the ultrasonographic findings of 275 exudates and 307 transudates and summarized the ultrasonographic image features of pleural effusion according to patients' primary diseases. The findings of thoracic ultrasonography performed before the initial thoracentesis in 582 patients with subsequently confirmed exudative/transudative pleural effusion were analyzed with regard to the sonographic features of pleural effusion. In 275 cases with exudates, thoracic ultrasonography showed a complex septate appearance in 19 cases (6.9%), complex nonseptate appearance in 100 cases (36.4%), complex homogenous sign in 46 cases (16.7%), and pleural thickness > 3 mm in 105 cases. In contrast, in 307 patients with transudates, most patients (97.1%) had bilateral pleural effusion. Ultrasonographic images displayed anechoic appearance and absence of pleural thickening in a vast majority of cases (306, 99.7%; 301, 98%). These positive findings in the exudate were statistically higher than those in their counterparts (P < .05). In the empyema subgroup, the proportion of complex septate appearance, complex nonseptate appearance, complex homogenous sign, and pleural thickening was the highest, at 19/41, 12/41, 10/41, and 30/41, respectively. Ultrasonography is valuable in defining the nature of pleural effusion. Some sonographic features of pleural effusion, such as echogenicity, septation, and pleural thickening, may indicate a high risk of exudative pleural effusion., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Medical thoracoscopy (MT) is a well-established diagnostic procedure in cases of unexplained exudative pleural effusions. Despite the advantages of MT, challenges remain since occasionally malignancies mimic pleural inflammation., Objectives: To assess the relationship between the macroscopic appearance of the pleura at MT, the histology of the pleural biopsy and the final diagnosis after follow up., Methods: Data was prospectively collected on patients undergoing MT over 8 years, using a standardised electronic thoracoscopy report. We report the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) of the macroscopic changes, the sensitivity of computer tomographic (CT) appearances and final outcome., Results: A total of 228 thoracoscopies and biopsy were performed, 70 reports described benign macroscopic changes; of these 15.7% had malignant histology. When the final outcome was taken into account, the sensitivity of macroscopic appearance at MT was 91.5%, specificity 76.0%, PPV 88.6% and the NPV 81.4%. Nodular changes were more likely to be associated with malignancy (Chi 2 75.5, p < 0.05). The CT scans performed prior to thoracoscopy had a poor sensitivity for the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion (50%) and a good specificity in the diagnosis of benign disease (90.5%)., Conclusion: A standardised structured report allows reliable evaluation of the macroscopic findings at MT. The PPV of the macroscopic findings for malignancy is relatively high; however, in a significant minority of cases despite benign-looking macroscopic changes the final diagnosis was malignancy. Careful consideration must be given in cases with benign histology to either monitoring or further diagnostic tests based on clinical suspicion., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in tuberculous pleurisy (TBP) and the differential diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT between TBP and pleural metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma (PMLAC)., Materials and Methods: The features of pleura on PET and hybrid CT were retrospectively studied in 20 patients with TBP and 32 patients with PMLAC. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of these indices for TBP and PMLAC, and binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent predictors of TBP and PMLAC., Results: There were significant differences in pleural 18F-FDG uptake pattern on PET ( P =0.001), pleural morphology pattern on CT ( P =0.002), the maximum diameter of the pleural nodule ( P =0.001), and interlobular fissure nodule ( P =0.001) between TBP and PMLAC groups. The diffused pleural FDG uptake type on PET (odds ratio (OR) = 6.0, 95% CI 2.216-16.248, P =0.001) and the lamellar pleural thickening type on CT (OR = 4.4, 95% CI 2.536-7.635, P =0.001) were independent predictors of TBP, with 60% and 55% sensitivity, 96.6% and 90.6% specificity, and 82.7% and 77.0% accuracy. The combined diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for TBP were 70%, 87.5%, and 80.8%. The mixed pleural FDG uptake type on PET (OR = 5.106, 95% CI 2.024-12.879, P =0.001), the mixed pleural thickening type on CT (OR = 2.289, 95% CI 1.442-3.634, P =0.001), and the maximum diameter of the pleural nodule (OR = 1.027, 95% CI 1.012-1.042, P =0.001) were independent predictors of PMLAC, with 78.1%, 71.9%, and 87.5% sensitivity, 85%, 80%, and 85% specificity, and 80.8%, 75%, and 86.5% accuracy. The combined diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for PMLAC were 96.9%, 85%, and 90.4%., Conclusions: 18F-FDG PET/CT is of great clinical value in the diagnosis of TBP and in the differential diagnosis between TBP and PMLAC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Xiaoqing Du et al.)

Objectives: Recurrent symptomatic effusions can be durably managed with pleurodesis or placement of indwelling pleural catheters. Recent pleurodesis trials have largely relied on lung re-expansion on post-thoracentesis radiograph as an inclusion criterion rather than pleural elastance as determined by manometry, which is an important predictor of successful pleurodesis. We investigated the association between lung re-expansion on post-pleural drainage chest imaging and pleural physiology, with particular attention to pleural elastance over the final 200 mL aspirated., Design: Post-hoc analysis of a recent randomised trial., Setting and Participants: Post-results analysis of 61 subjects at least 18 years old with symptomatic pleural effusions estimated to be at least of 0.5 L in volume allocated to manometry-guided therapeutic thoracentesis in a recent randomised trial conducted at two major university hospitals in the USA., Primary Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was concordance of radiographic with normal terminal pleural elastance over the final 200 mL aspirated. We label this terminal elastance 'visceral pleural recoil', or the tendency of the maximally expanded lung to withdraw from the chest wall., Results: Post-thoracentesis chest radiograph and thoracic ultrasound indicated successful lung re-expansion in 69% and 56% of cases, respectively. Despite successful radiographic lung re-expansion, visceral pleural recoil was abnormal in 71% of subjects expandable by radiograph and 77% expandable by ultrasound. The sensitivity and positive predictive value of radiographic lung re-expansion for normal visceral pleural recoil were 44% and 24%, respectively., Conclusion: Radiographic lung re-expansion by post-thoracentesis chest radiograph or thoracic ultrasound is a poor surrogate for normal terminal pleural elastance. Clinical management of patients with recurrent symptomatic pleural effusions guided by manometry rather than post-thoracentesis imaging might produce better outcomes, which should be investigated by future clinical trials., Trial Registration Number: NCT02677883; Post-results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Background: To demonstrate and analyze the relatively common imaging findings in this rare primary pleural angiosarcoma (PPA)., Case Presentation: Three cases of PPA, proven by video-assisted thoracic surgery biopsies are retrospectively reviewed. Patients were all male. Age ranges from 65 to 75 years old age (mean; 69). Major chief complaints were dyspnea and chest pain. One has a history of colon cancer, the other has a tuberculosis history and the other has no known history. Multidetector chest CT and PET CT were all done. Immunohistochemical studies were performed including CD31, CD34, or factor VIII-related antigen, vimentin, and cytokeratin. We also review the literatures on recently published PPA. All masses were from 1 to 10 cm. All three patients had multiple pleural based masses, which were ovoid in shape with relatively sharp margin in unilateral hemithorax. Multiple small circumscribed pleural masses are limited in the pleural space in two patients, whereas two, huge lobulated masses about up to 10 cm were present with pleural and extrapleural involvement in one patient. In two patients with pleural mass only, multiple pleural masses were only seen in parietal pleura in one patient and were in both visceral and parietal pleura in one patient. Pleural effusion were found in one side in one patient and in both sides in one patient. One angiosarcoma was arised from chronic tuberculotic pleurisy sequelae. All pleural masses are heterogenous with irregular internal low densities in all patients. Hematogenous metastases were found in liver, vertebra, rib in one patient, and were in lungs with mediastinal lymph node metastases in the other patient. Three patients survived for longer than 3months after diagnosis, but continued to deteriorate rapidly. Two patients underwent chemotherapy after surgical excision, and the other one with multiple metastases treated chemotherapy after CT-guided biopsy, but eventually all died. As a result of comparative analysis of a total of 13 patients' images including 10 cases previously published, there was pleural effusion in all except 2 cases., Conclusions: PPA were all necrotic without any vascularized enhancing nature, and manifested as unilateral circumscribed or localized pleural-based masses., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Pleural effusion is a frequent complication of acute pulmonary infection and can affect its morbidity and mortality. The possible evolution of a parapneumonic pleural effusion includes 3 stages: exudative (simple accumulation of pleural fluid), fibropurulent (bacterial invasion of the pleural cavity), and organized stage (scar tissue formation). Such a progression is favored by inadequate treatment or imbalance between microbial virulence and immune defenses. Biochemical features of a fibrinopurulent collection include a low pH (<7.20), low glucose level (<60 mg/dl), and high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). A parapneumonic effusion in the fibropurulent stage is usually defined "complicated" since antibiotic therapy alone is not enough for its resolution and an invasive procedure (pleural drainage or surgery) is required. Chest ultrasound is one of the most useful imaging tests to assess the presence of a complicated pleural effusion. Simple parapneumonic effusions are usually anechoic, whereas complicated effusions often have a complex appearance (non-anechoic, loculated, or septated). When simple chest tube placement fails and/or patients are not suitable for more invasive techniques (i.e. surgery), intra-pleural instillation of fibrinolytic/enzymatic therapy (IPET) might represent a valuable treatment option to obtain the lysis of fibrin septa. IPET can be used as either initial or subsequent therapy. Further studies are ongoing or are required to help fill some gaps on the optimal management of parapneumonic pleural effusion. These include the duration of antibiotic therapy, the risk/benefit ratio of medical thoracoscopy and surgery, and new intrapleural treatments such as antibiotic-eluting chest tubes and pleural irrigation with antiseptic agents., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) is a rare, generally idiopathic form of interstitial pneumonia with unique clinical, radiological and histopathological features. It is named after the presence of upper lobe pleural and subjacent parenchymal fibrosis, with accompanying elastic fibers. Although it is usually an idiopathic disease, it has been linked to other co-existent diseases. Diagnostic suspicion of PPFE is based on the identification of typical abnormalities on chest CT scan, which are prevailingly located in the upper lobes, adjacent to the apex of the lungs. Diagnosis can be confirmed by histological analysis, although biopsy is not always feasible. The disease is generally progressive, but not uniformly. The course of the disease is frequently slow and involves a progressive loss of upper lobe volume, which results in platythorax, associated with a significant reduction of body mass. PPFE concomitant to other interstitial lung diseases is associated with a poorer prognosis. The disease occasionally progresses rapidly causing irreversible respiratory insufficiency, which leads to death. Currently, there is no effective pharmacological therapy available, and lung transplantation is the best therapeutic option. The purpose of this review is to draw the attention to PPFE, describe its clinical, radiological and histopathological features, analyze its diagnostic criteria, and provide an update on the management of the disease., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background Solid costal pleura-attached noncalcified nodules (CP-NCNs) less than 10.0 mm with lentiform, oval, or semicircular (LOS) or triangular shapes and smooth margins on baseline low-dose CT scans from the Mount Sinai Early Lung and Cardiac Action Program (MS-ELCAP) were reviewed, and it was determined that they can be followed up at the first annual screening rather than having a shorter-term work-up. Purpose To determine whether the same criteria could be used for solid CP-NCNs newly identified at annual screening examinations. Materials and Methods With use of the same MS-ELCAP database, all new solid CP-NCNs measuring 30.0 mm or less were identified at 4425 annual screening examinations between 2010 and 2019. In addition, to ensure that no malignant CP-NCNs met the criteria, all solid malignant CP-NCNs of 30.0 mm or less in the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program, or I-ELCAP, database of 111 102 annual screening examinations from the 76 participating institutions between 1992 and 2019 were identified; Mount Sinai is one of these institutions. All identified solid CP-NCNs were reviewed-with the radiologists blinded to diagnosis-for shape (triangular, LOS, polygonal, round, or irregular), margin (smooth or nonsmooth), pleural attachment (broad or narrow), and the presence of emphysema and/or fibrosis within 10.0 mm of each CP-NCN. Intra- and interreader readings were performed, and agreements were determined by using the B-statistic. Results Of the 76 new solid CP-NCNs, 21 were lung cancers. Benign CP-NCNs were smaller than malignant ones (median diameter, 4.2 mm vs 11 mm; P < .001), had a different shape distributions, more frequently had smooth margins (67% vs 14%; P < .001), and less frequently had emphysema (38% vs 81%; P = .003) or fibrosis (3.6% vs 19%; P = .045) within a 10.0 mm radius. All 22 solid CP-NCNs less than 10.0 mm in average diameter with triangular or LOS shapes and smooth margins were benign, and none of the 21 solid malignant CP-NCNs had these characteristics. Intra- and interobserver agreement for triangular or LOS-shaped CP-NCNs with smooth margins was almost perfect (0.77 and 0.69, respectively). Conclusion The same follow-up recommendation developed for baseline costal pleura-attached noncalcified nodules (CP-NCNs) can be used for CP-NCNs newly identified at annual screening rounds. © RSNA, 2021.

Background: Approximately 10% to 15% of patients with solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura (SFTP) have recurrence after resection. Many are not candidates for reresection and lack effective treatments. We explored the expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) as a biomarker for candidacy for treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors., Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 52 patients with primary SFTP and 5 with recurrent SFTP. We performed immunohistochemistry on tumor tissue to determine the expression of PD-L1 and infiltration by cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8)-positive immune cells., Results: Any PD-L1 expression was observed in 11 primary SFTP (21.2%). Overall, PD-L1 expression level was less than 1% in 10 patients (19.2%) and greater than 1% in 1 (1.9%). Tumor infiltration by CD8-positive immune cells was absent or rare in 13 patients (25%), less than 5% in 31 (59.6%), and 5% to 25% in 8 (15.4%). There were no associations between PD-L1 expression or immune cell infiltrates and known risk factors for recurrence or a prognostic risk score classification. Time to recurrence was strongly associated with the risk score classification (P < .001), but it was not associated with PD-L1 expression (P = .296) or immune cell infiltrates (P = .619). In recurrent SFTP, PD-L1 was expressed in 4 of 10 tumors (40%; all <1% expression). There was no correlation in PD-L1 expression between primary and recurrent SFTP samples., Conclusions: A small subset of SFTP express PD-L1 at low levels (<1%) but exhibit colocalization of CD8-positive immune cells suggesting an inducible expression mechanism. The role of PD-L1 merits exploration in the clinical setting in patients with advanced SFTP when alternative treatments or clinical trials are considered., (Copyright © 2021 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: The presence of pleural adhesions increases blood loss, occurrence of pulmonary fistulation due to lung injury, and operative time and may complicate thoracoscopic surgery. Recently, it has been reported that four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) synchronized with breathing predicts pleural adhesion. These studies have been performed by asking the patients to maintain a constant respiratory rhythm at the time of scanning. However, many patients face difficulty in doing so, particularly elderly individuals and patients with respiratory dysfunction. We examined the utility of 4D-CT performed while maintaining a natural breathing pattern, which reduces patient burden, in detecting pleural adhesions.A total of 36 patients with a lung tumor near the pleura underwent 4D-CT during free breathing. The migration distance between the lesion and the nearest point on the chest wall on 4D-CT was measured. A sufficient distance indicated the absence of adhesion in that area. The presence of actual adhesions was evaluated and confirmed by intraoperative thoracoscopic findings.There were 7 cases determined to have adhesion by 4D-CT, and 4 of them had actual adhesions confirmed during surgery. The sensitivity and specificity were 80.0% and 90.3%, respectively. The mean migration distance of tumors was 0.8 ± 0.2 cm in the 5 cases with adhesion and 2.6 ± 1.8 cm in the 31 cases without adhesion (P = .01).These results suggest that 4D-CT is a convenient and useful technique for the preoperative assessment of pleural adhesion., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive carcinoma located in pleural cavity. Due to lack of effective diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in MPM, the prognosis is extremely poor. Because of difficulties in sample extraction, and the high rate of misdiagnosis, MPM is rarely studied. Therefore, novel modeling methodology is crucially needed to facilitate MPM research., Methods: A novel patient-derived xenograft (PDX) modeling strategy was designed, which included preliminary screening of patients with pleural thickening using computerized tomography (CT) scan, further reviewing history of disease and imaging by a senior sonographer as well as histopathological analysis by a senior pathologist, and PDX model construction using ultrasound-guided pleural biopsy from MPM patients. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics was further utilized for investigating circulating metabolic features of the PDX models. Univariate and multivariate analysis, and pathway analysis were performed to explore the differential metabolites, enriched metabolism pathways and potential metabolic targets., Results: After screening using our strategy, 5 out of 116 patients were confirmed to be MPM, and their specimens were used for modeling. Two PDX models were established successfully. Metabolomics analysis revealed significant metabolic shifts in PDX models, such as dysregulations in amino acid metabolism, TCA cycle and glycolysis, and nucleotide metabolism., Conclusions: To sum up, we suggested a novel modeling strategy that may facilitate specimen availability for MM research, and by applying metabolomics in this model, several metabolic features were identified, whereas future studies with large sample size are needed., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To compare the wait times, safety, and diagnostic adequacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous lung biopsies with ultrasound (US) guidance for subpleural lung and pleural lesions., Methods: Consecutive CT- and US-guided biopsies performed at our institution between January 2018 and January 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Biopsy wait times, lesion size, degree of pleural contact, procedure duration, number of needle passes, complications, and pathologic diagnosis were recorded and compared., Results: A total of 158 biopsies of subpleural or pleural-based lesions were reviewed. Forty-three cases utilized US guidance, while 115 cases used CT, 41 with conventional CT (CCT), and 74 with cone-beam CT guidance (CBCT). Overall, the mean lesion maximum axial diameter and length of pleural contact for US-guided biopsies was greater than for CT (4.8 ± 2.6 cm vs 3.2 ± 1.9 cm and 4.0 ± 2.5 cm vs 2.6 ± 1.7 cm, respectively, P < .001). Wait times for US-guided biopsies were significantly shorter than CCT by 10.9 days on average while being equivalent to CBCT. Procedure time was shorter for lesions localized with US than CT (29.5 ± 16.4 minutes vs 37.6 ± 19.5 minutes, P = .007) despite CT using less needle passes per lesion (3.5 ± 1.1 vs 3.1 ± 0.8, P = .034). Sample adequacy was equivalent for both modalities (88% for US and 92% for CT). The frequency of pneumothoraces was similar between US (12%) and CT (15%)., Conclusion: Ultrasound and CT guidance have similar safety and diagnostic adequacy for subpleural lung and pleural biopsies. Ultrasound guidance has shorter wait and procedure times.

We report a case of a 74-year-old male patient who was referred to the respiratory clinic with an incidental finding of a left sided pleural effusion. He was initially being treated by the general practitioner for chest infection with productive cough that had limited resolution after course of oral antibiotics. At the pleural clinic, 1.5 L of serosanguineous fluid was drained and sent for diagnostics. However, the diagnosis only reached as far as idiopathic exudative effusion with lymphocytes and plasma cells. He was then referred for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery pleural biopsy and pleurodesis. It revealed black pleura with abundant IgG4 positive cells. He is followed up in respiratory clinic where further discussion and treatment has commenced., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

We present the case of a 65-year-old woman who presented with progressive dysphagia and was diagnosed with achalasia. She subsequently developed bilateral chylous pleural effusions, with no cause identified despite extensive investigations (including computed tomography (CT) scans, gastroscopy and medical thoracoscopy (MT)) and review at a dedicated pleural multidisciplinary team meeting.Despite optimal supportive management she deteriorated and was admitted to the intensive care unit, where she passed away due to sepsis and respiratory failure 10 months after initial presentation. A postmortem returned a diagnosis of epithelioid mesothelioma, encasing the carina, distal oesophagus and coeliac axis.Mesothelioma only very rarely presents with either chylous effusions or achalasia. Additionally while MT normally conveys excellent sensitivity for pleural malignancy, it was insufficient here. This case highlights how an unusually located mesothelioma can produce an unusual clinical picture. It also suggests a role for early video-assisted thoracoscopy to aid diagnosis., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Unilateral pleural effusions are uncommonly reported in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonitis. Herein, we report a case of a 42-year-old woman who presented to hospital with worsening dyspnoea on a background of a 2-week history of typical SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. On admission to the emergency department, the patient was severely hypoxic and hypotensive. A chest radiograph demonstrated a large left-sided pleural effusion with associated contralateral mediastinal shift (tension hydrothorax) and typical SARS-CoV-2 changes within the right lung. She was treated with thoracocentesis in which 2 L of serosanguinous, lymphocyte-rich fluid was drained from the left lung pleura. Following incubation, the pleural aspirate sample tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis This case demonstrates the need to exclude non-SARS-CoV-2-related causes of pleural effusions, particularly when patients present in an atypical manner, that is, with tension hydrothorax. Given the non-specific symptomatology of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonitis, this case illustrates the importance of excluding other causes of respiratory distress., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and safety of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) guided biopsy in the diagnosis of radiologically determined pleural based lesions., Method: A prospective study was conducted on patients with radiologically determined pleural based lesions. Patients who met the inclusion criteria received pleural biopsy guided by CEUS to obtain specimens, followed by histomathological and microbiological examinations. After treatment and follow-up, surgical thoracoscopy was performed on cases with undefinite diagnosis., Result: A total of 460 patients were finally included. CEUS showed internal necrosis in 72.17% cases and obvious peripheral vessels in 55.43% cases, both of which were significantly higher than the conventional ultrasound imaged (p < 0.05). The diagnostic accuracy through CEUS guided biopsy sampling was 98.91% (455/460). The microbiological diagnostic yield achieved 71.88% (225/313) in infectious lesions. In 330 cases combined pleural effusion, CEUS guided biopsy increased the diagnostic yield from 60.30% (199 /330) to 98.36% (325 /330) in all cases (p < 0.05), from 15.56% (14/90) to 94.44% (85/90) in malignant lesions (p < 0.01) and from 77.08% (185/240) to 100% (240/240) in infectious lesions (p < 0.05). No serious adverse events occurred., Conclusion: CEUS guided biopsy provides a minimally invasive, effective and safe diagnostic biopsy method for pleural lesions., Clinical Trials Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000029749 (ChiCTR, www.chictr.org.cn )., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background/aim: Leiomyoma is a rare benign tumor originating from smooth muscle fibres. In the respiratory tract, these tumors are rare and in the pleura, cases are exceptional, with only a few reported so far. This is the main reason we decided to present this case of primary leiomyoma of the visceral pleura., Case Report: We present a case of a 51-year-old asymptomatic patient who, during a routine medical examination using standard chest radiography, presented with a 3 by 2 cm homogenous mass in the right superior pulmonary area, tangent to the chest wall (same level with the 3 rd rib). Further investigation using computed tomography (CT) in the chest confirmed the presence of a 31/18 mm solid mass in the right upper lobe, in contact with the parietal pleura. Surgery was performed for two reasons: i) removal of the tumoral mass and ii) establishing a histopathological diagnosis. Intraoperatively, a well-defined, homogenous, ivory white non-infiltrating mass was discovered in the right upper lobe on the visceral pleura and in close proximity to the minor fissure. The mass was removed with negative surgical margins and was left with healthy tissue. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry came as a surprise, establishing our diagnosis of leiomyoma., Conclusion: Primitive pleural leiomyoma must remain a possibility when considering the differential diagnosis of pleural tumors. The main course of treatment is complete surgical resection. In our case, long-term follow up did not present any local recurrence., (Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background: This study explored the safety and feasibility of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) decortication in patients presenting with stage III tuberculous empyema with severe rib crowding., Methods: From August 2017 to January /2019, 33 patients with stage III tuberculous empyema and severe rib crowding underwent uniportal VATS decortication with partial rib resection and the use of a customized periosteal stripper. Preoperative and postoperative chest computed tomography (CT) imaging and pulmonary function testing were analyzed to evaluate the clinical significance of certain imaging findings and surgical efficacy., Results: There was 1 conversion to open thoracotomy. Median operative time was 3.5 hours (range, 2.1-4.5 hours) and the median blood loss was 500 mL (range, 250-1000 mL). There were no perioperative mortalities. The incidence of prolonged air leaks (>5 days) was 81.8%. Median postoperative hospital stay was 4 days (range, 4-5 days). All patients were discharged with 2 chest tubes, and median duration drainage was 39 days (range, 30-60 days). The presence of a low-density line between the parietal fibrous pleural rind and chest wall was demonstrated on chest CT in 13 patients. Intraoperative blood loss was considerably lower in these patients compared with those without this imaging finding. Follow-up was complete in all patients over a median of 8 months (range, 6-11.5 months). All patients recovered well and achieved notable improvement in pulmonary function., Conclusions: Uniportal VATS decortication is safe and effective. Patients presenting with a low-density line around the thickened fibrous pleural rind on preoperative chest CT scan may be good candidates., (Copyright © 2021 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We herein report a rare case of a 66-year-old man with refractory chylothorax. Although he had been treated with moderate doses of prednisolone (PSL) on suspicion of pleuritis with Sjögren syndrome, the pleural effusion expanded after the reduction of PSL. Further workup including histopathological examinations of pleura led to the diagnosis of IgG4-RD with bilateral chylothorax without any leakage from the thoracic duct. Combination therapy with high-dose PSL plus rituximab successfully decreased the pleural effusion. This is a very rare case of IgG4-related pleuritis with chylothorax and the first report of its successful treatment with rituximab.

Introduction: The relationship between chronic empyema and malignant tumors, most of which are lymphoma, has been recognized for many decades. Sarcomatoid carcinoma associated with chronic empyema is extremely rare, may metastasize to other organs in the early stage, and rapidly progresses to death. As far as we know, this was the first case report on sarcomatoid carcinoma associated chronic empyema., The Patients Main Concerns and Important Clinical Findings: A 59-year-old man presented to our hospital with a 9-year history of chronic empyema and a chief complaint of left chest wall pain for 5 months. The diagnostic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a large irregular soft tissue mass located on the left lower hemithorax at the margin of the empyema cavity extending to the adjacent chest wall and lung parenchyma. In addition, CT revealed pleural and pulmonary metastases surrounded by ground glass opacity., The Main Diagnosis, Therapeutics Interventions, and Outcomes: The patient underwent CT guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB). The histopathological evaluation showed carcinomatous proliferation of pleomorphic spindle cells with extensive necrosis. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin and vimentin. The final histopathological diagnosis was sarcomatoid carcinoma underlying chronic empyema. The tumors showed rapid progression on serial simple radiography. Palliative treatments were performed, but the patient still developed severe dyspnea and died shortly after on day 16., Conclusion: Sarcomatoid carcinoma can occur very rarely as a complication of chronic empyema, and is more aggressive than usual. Early detection of developing malignancy during the follow-up of chronic empyema is an important factor for patient prognosis., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that was recognized in 2011. Pleuritis associated with IgG4-related disease is rare and can be difficult to diagnose. Although there have been previous reports on pleuritis associated with IgG4-related disease by thoracoscopic findings, this is the first to observe pleuritis with IgG4-related disease from normal pleural thoracoscopic findings., Case Presentation: A 70-year-old Japanese female treated for breast cancer 33 years ago was referred to our hospital complaining of dyspnea on exertion. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed left pleural effusion that was exudative and predominant with lymphocytes, elevated adenosine deaminase (ADA) and Class III cytology (malignancy suspected). Subsequently, thoracoscopic pleural biopsy was performed for definitive diagnosis. Although pleural macroscopic findings appeared normal, we performed pleural biopsy at random sites. This patient was negative for mycobacterium tuberculosis, and neither granulomas nor malignant cells were found in the collected specimens. An infiltration of inflammatory cells, mainly plasma cells and lymphocytes, was observed. Immunostaining revealed the number of IgG4-positive plasma cells was 102/high power field (HPF), and the percentage of IgG4 positive/immunoglobulin G (IgG)-positive cells was 41.4%. Since IgG4 serum levels were high and IgG4-related submandibular sialadenitis was also observed, a definitive diagnose of pleuritis associated with IgG4-related disease was confirmed., Conclusions: We diagnosed pleuritis associated with IgG4-related disease by thoracoscopic pleural biopsy samples taken from a visually normal pleura. Although exudative pleural effusion with high ADA and lymphocyte predominance is a characteristic of tuberculous pleuritis, other diseases might be present. Since thoracoscopy can increase the diagnostic yield, pleural biopsy should be considered even if thoracoscopic pleural findings are deemed normal.

Idiopathic pleuropulmonary fibroelastosis is an extremely rare lung disease characterized by the combination of fibrosis of the visceral pleura and the fibroelastotic changes transcending in the subpleural lung parenchyma that predominantly affects the upper lobes with accompanying volume loss. It is mostly idiopathic while infection, autoimmunity, bone marrow or lung transplantation and genetic predisposition may be associated with the development of PPFE. The disease is exceptionally rare as approximately ninety cases have been reported in the literature currently. A 35-year-old female presented with exertional dyspnea, dry cough and weight loss. Physical examination demonstrated platythorax, suprasternal notch deepening and fine rales over the upper lobes. Blood count, serum biochemistry, autoimmunity and serologic markers for collagen vascular diseases were within normal limits. Arterial blood gases demonstrated a low pO2 (48 mm Hg) and a high pCO2 (54 mm Hg) values. Chest x-ray showed bilateral parenchymal fibrotic lesions, left pneumothorax, bronchiectasis in the middle and pleural thickening in the upper lung zones while HRCT revealed bilateral apical pleural thickening, traction bronchiectasis, subpleural reticulations, ground-glass opacities and honeycombing in the upper lobes. Bronchoscopy, BAL cytology, smear and culture did not reveal any pathologic findings. Relevant with the clinical, laboratory, radiologic manifestations and the differential diagnosis with other interstitial lung diseases, PPFE was the final diagnosis. The aim of this case report was to present the clinical manifestations of our case. The second crucial objective was to establish a diagnostic scoring system relevant with the literature and the clinical manifestations of the patient.

Thoracic ultrasound is increasingly considered to be an essential tool for the pulmonologist. It is used in diverse clinical scenarios, including as an adjunct to clinical decision making for diagnosis, a real-time guide to procedures and a predictor or measurement of treatment response. The aim of this European Respiratory Society task force was to produce a statement on thoracic ultrasound for pulmonologists using thoracic ultrasound within the field of respiratory medicine. The multidisciplinary panel performed a review of the literature, addressing major areas of thoracic ultrasound practice and application. The selected major areas include equipment and technique, assessment of the chest wall, parietal pleura, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, interstitial syndrome, lung consolidation, diaphragm assessment, intervention guidance, training and the patient perspective. Despite the growing evidence supporting the use of thoracic ultrasound, the published literature still contains a paucity of data in some important fields. Key research questions for each of the major areas were identified, which serve to facilitate future multicentre collaborations and research to further consolidate an evidence-based use of thoracic ultrasound, for the benefit of the many patients being exposed to clinicians using thoracic ultrasound., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: C.B. Laursen has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: A. Clive has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: R. Hallifax has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: P.I. Pietersen has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: R. Asciak has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: J.R. Davidsen has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: R. Bhatnagar has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: E.O. Bedawi has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: N. Jacobsen has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: C. Coleman is an employee of the European Lung Foundation. Conflict of interest: A. Edey has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: G. Via has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: G. Volpicelli has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: G. Massard has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: F. Raimondi has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: M. Evison has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: L. Konge has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: J. Annema has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: N.M. Rahman reports equipment provision from Esaote, Italy, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: N. Maskell has nothing to disclose., (Copyright ©ERS 2021.)