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Background Coronavirus disease highly contagious, is prevalent in all age and sex groups infecting the respiratory system. The present study seeks to investigate the epidemiology and effective factors in mortality of patients with COVID-19 in Ardabil province, northwestern Iran. Methods In a retrospective study, the hospitalized patients with laboratory-diagnosed COVID-19 between February to August 2020 were enrolled. The data registration portal was designated according to Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education guidelines. In this portal, demographic information, clinical presentation, laboratory and imaging data were registered for patients in all hospitals in the same format. The Hosmer-Lemeshow strategy was used for variable selection in a multiple model. Results Of the patients involved 2812(50.3%) were male and 150 (2.7%) had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days. Pre-existing comorbidity was reported in 1310 (23.4%) patients. Of all patients, 477(8.5%) died due to COVID-19. the result of the multiple logistic regression model indicated that after adjusting for other factors, higher age (OR = 3.11), fever or chills (OR = 1.61), shortness of breath (OR = 1.82), fatigue (OR = 0.71), headache (OR = 0.64), runny nose (OR = 1.54), Skeletal muscle pain (OR = 1.53), hospitalization (OR = 5.66), and hospitalization in ICU (OR = 5.12) were associated with death. Conclusions Hospitalization had the strongest effect on mortality followed by hospitalization in ICU, and higher age. This study showed that having some extra-pulmonary symptoms in contrast with pulmonary symptoms can predict as good prognostic factors.

Background In the past 20 years four major viral infectious diseases outbreaks caused hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide: SARS, Influenza H1N1, MERS, and COVID-19. They all present clinically initially as upper and lower respiratory tract infections and may progress to multi-organ failure. Methods This study was a systematic review of literature conducted in September 2020 to study extra-pulmonary complications of SARS, FLU, MERS, and current COVID-19. We carried out a systematic search using the keywords in online databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar until June 2020. Objective This article aims to review the most common extra-pulmonary manifestations of SARS, Influenza, MERS, and COVID-19. Discussion Several studies have reported extra-pulmonary conditions in patients diagnosed with SARS, Influenza, MERS, and COVID-19, either by direct viral injury or from the systemic response to the initial infection. Conclusion SARS, Influenza, MERS, and COVID-19 have all been associated with dysfunction of kidneys, endocrine system, neuromuscular symptoms, perinatal complications, and myocardial injury. Progression from pulmonary disease to a systemic condition has a poor outcome and can result in multi-organ failure.

BackgroundAcute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can have various causes. The study objective was to investigate whether different pathophysiologic models of ARDS would show different respiratory, cardiovascular and inflammatory outcomes.MethodsWe performed a prospective, randomized study in 27 ventilated ewes inducing ARDS using three different techniques to mimic the pulmonary causes of ARDS (ARDSp): warm saline lavage (n = 6), intratracheal hydrochloric acid (HCl; n = 6), intratracheal albumin (n = 10), and one technique to mimic an extrapulmonary cause of ARDS (ARDSexp): intravenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS iv;n = 5). ARDS was defined when PaO2was 2O and FiO2 = 1.0. The effects on gas exchange were investigated by calculating the oxygenation index (OI) and the ventilation efficacy index (VEI) every 30 min for a period of 4 h. Post mortem lung lavage was performed to obtain broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) to assess lung injury and inflammation. Lung injury and inflammation were assessed by measuring the total number and differentiation of leukocytes, the concentration of protein and disaturated phospholipids, and interleukine-6 and -8 in the BALF. Histology of the lung was evaluated by measuring the mean alveolar size, alveolar wall thickness and the lung injury score system by Matute-Bello et al., as markers of lung injury. The concentration of interleukin-6 was determined in plasma, as a marker of systematic inflammation.ResultsThe OI and VEI were most affected in the LPS iv group and thereafter the HCl group, after meeting the ARDS criteria. Diastolic blood pressure was lowest in the LPS iv group. There were no significant differences found in the total number and differentiation of leukocytes, the concentration of protein and disaturated phospholipids, or interleukin-8 in the BALF, histology of the lung and the lung injury score. IL-6 in BALF and plasma was highest in the LPS iv group, but no significant differences were found between the other groups. It took a significantly longer period of time to meet the ARDS criteria in the LPS iv group.ConclusionsThe LPS model caused the most severe pulmonary and cardiovascular insufficiency. Surprisingly, there were limited significant differences in lung injury and inflammatory markers, despite the different pathophysiological models, when the clinical definition of ARDS was applied.

Patients with extrapulmonary poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (EP-PD-NECs) have a poor prognosis. Surgery is offered for those with localised disease, but the majority of patients present with advanced disease. Treatment strategies adopted are analogous to that of high grade NECs of the lung, with platinum/etoposide-based regimens advocated in the first-line setting for advanced disease. There is no standard second-line therapy. Research into their molecular and immune pathways may pave the way for novel drug discovery. The molecular drivers of NEC are best identified in small cell lung carcinoma, which present with near universal genomic alterations in TP53 and RB1. The genetics of EP-PD-NEC remain poorly understood; TP53, KRAS, PIK3CA/PTEN and BRAF mutations have been identified, with alterations in the BRCA pathway reported additionally in small cell NEC of the cervix and absence of argininosuccinate synthetase 1 expression in NEC of the urinary bladder. The use of cell lines and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) to predict response to treatment in NEC and the emergence of alternative biomarkers, such as circulating tumour cells and cell-free DNA, will also be explored. Despite limited published data on the immune microenvironment of EP-NEC, there are a number of clinical trials investigating the use of immune-targeted agents in this disease category, with conflicting emerging data from studies thus far. This review will summarise the treatment and available molecular and immune data in this under researched diagnosis and may stimulate the direction of future exploratory studies.

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a systemic vasculitis of small‐to‐medium‐sized vessels. Both eosinophilic infiltration and vasculitis are thought to contribute to multi‐organ damage. Some biologics have been used to reduce the required dose of corticosteroids in EGPA, but no single agent can ensure a complete control of this disease. Here, we describe a patient with anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies‐negative relapsing EGPA whose asthma control was improved by omalizumab, but she continued to develop flares of abdominal and cutaneous vasculitis symptoms. After switching to mepolizumab therapy, her blood hypereosinophilia and extra‐pulmonary symptoms were significantly improved. Moreover, the dose of daily maintenance corticosteroid could be tapered off. The experience from our case suggests that biologics targeting interleukin‐5 may be more effective than omalizumab in the management of extra‐thoracic manifestations in EGPA., We report the clinical benefits after switching from omalizumab to mepolizumab in an anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies‐negative eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis patient on her abdominal and cutaneous manifestations.

Objective To characterize patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who presented primarily with neurologic symptoms without typical COVID-19 symptoms of fever, cough, and dyspnea. Methods We retrospectively identified COVID-19-positive patients 18 years and older that had neurology symptoms on presentation requiring neurology consultation between March 14, 2020 and May 18, 2020. The patients were then classified into those with typical COVID-19 symptoms and those without. Demographic, clinical symptoms, laboratory result, and clinical outcomes were collected. Results Out of 282 patients who had neurology consult during this period, we identified 56 (mean age 69.2 years, 57% women) who tested COVID-19-positive and had neurologic symptoms on initial presentation. Of these, 23 patients (mean age 65.2 years, 52% women) had no typical COVID-19 symptoms while 33 did (mean age 72.2 years, 60% woman). In both groups, impaired consciousness was the most common initial neurologic symptom, followed by stroke, unsteady gait, headache, seizure, syncopal event, acute vision changes, and intracranial hemorrhage. Out of the 23 patients without typical COVID-19 symptoms on presentation, 10 went on to develop typical symptoms with 8 needing supplemental oxygen and one requiring mechanical ventilation. Conclusion Patients who have COVID-19 can present with serious neurologic symptoms such as impaired consciousness and stroke even without typical COVID-19 symptoms. Those without typical COVID-19 symptoms can later develop typical symptoms severe enough to need respiratory support.

Tuberculosis involving organs other than the lungs is termed as 'extra pulmonary tuberculosis'. Tuberculosis (TB) remains a worldwide public health problem despite the fact that the causative organism was discovered more than 100 years ago. The present study was conducted to assess different manifestations of tuberculosis affecting the ear, nose and throat (ENT) in patients attending the outpatient department in a total of 520 cases of tuberculosis. One hundred and eight cases were of extra pulmonary tuberculosis. Sixty nine cases had the manifestations of TB in the ENT region. These included patients with tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy (91.35), laryngeal TB (4.3%), tuberculous otitis media (1.4%), nasal TB (1.4%) and oral tuberculosis (1.4%). Extra pulmonary tuberculosis constitutes about 15-20% of all tuberculosis cases as per WHO survey and it is 20.6% in the present study.

Objective Measurement of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)-induced recruitment lung volume using passive spirometry is based on the assumption that the functional residual capacity (FRC) is not modified by the PEEP changes. We aimed to investigate the influence of PEEP on FRC in different models of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods A randomized crossover study was performed in 12 pigs. Pulmonary (n = 6) and extra-pulmonary (n = 6) ARDS models were established using an alveolar instillation of hydrochloric acid and a right atrium injection of oleic acid, respectively. Low (5 cmH2O) and high (15 cmH2O) PEEP were randomly applied in each animal. FRC and recruitment volume were determined using the nitrogen wash-in/wash-out technique and release maneuver. Results FRC was not significantly different between the two PEEP levels in either pulmonary ARDS (299 ± 92 mL and 309 ± 130 mL at 5 and 15 cmH2O, respectively) or extra-pulmonary ARDS (305 ± 143 mL and 328 ± 197 mL at 5 and 15 cmH2O, respectively). The recruitment volume was not significantly different between the two models (pulmonary, 341 ± 100 mL; extra-pulmonary, 351 ± 170 mL). Conclusions PEEP did not influence FRC in either the pulmonary or extra-pulmonary ARDS pig model.

Background This study aimed to establish and evaluate a simultaneous amplification and testing method for detection of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). Methods From January 2016 and December 2017 the pus or surgical excision from the lesions of inpatients admitted from Chongqing Public Health Treatment Center were collected. According to the clinical diagnosis, the samples were divided into two groups including EPTB (Group A) and other diseases excluded from tuberculosis diseases (Group B). Simultaneous detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) used Roche culture method, liquid culture method and simultaneous amplification and testing (SAT) method. The sensitivity and specificity of the SAT method were compared with culture methods and clinical diagnosis of EPTB. Results For 433 EPTB specimens and 49 non-TB specimens, the simultaneous amplification and testing tuberculosis (SAT-TB) results correlated with 80.5% (388/482 specimens) of the culture assay results. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the SAT-TB test for the diagnosis of EPTB were 83.6, 79.4, 59.4, and 93.0%, respectively, compared to culture methods. Compared with the clinical diagnosis of patients, the sensitivity and specificity of the SAT-TB test were 41.6 and 100%, respectively, the cultures test were 29.3 and 98.0%. Conclusions SAT test is a simple and rapid test with high specificity which may enhance the detection of EPTB. SAT-TB is a higher clinical diagnosis value for EPTB in clinical microbiology laboratories.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem idiopathic granulomatous disease. Lung is the most common organ involved but can involve any organ. The skin, eyes, joints, and heart are affected in a significant fraction of patients. Extrapulmonary sarcoidosis may be the major manifestation of the disease. Extrapulmonary disease may manifest before, concurrent with, or after the development of pulmonary disease or as isolated independent disease. We present three cases of isolated organ sarcoidosis involving the liver, lacrimal, and heart. Isolated organ involvement is difficult to diagnose and the treatment of Isolated organ is not defined.

Background Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is an uncommon form of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Korea. In this study, we aimed to highlight the clinical features, diagnostic methods, and outcomes of abdominal TB over 12 years in Southeastern Korea. Methods A total of 139 patients diagnosed as having abdominal TB who received anti-TB medication from January 2005 to June 2016 were reviewed. Among them, 69 patients (49.6%) had luminal TB, 28 (20.1%) had peritoneal TB, 7 (5.0%) had nodal TB, 23 (16.5%) had visceral TB, and 12 (8.6%) had mixed TB. Results The most frequent symptoms were abdominal pain (34.5%) and abdominal distension (21.0%). Diagnosis of abdominal TB was confirmed using microbiologic and/or histologic methods in 76 patients (confirmed diagnosis), while the remaining 63 patients were diagnosed based on clinical presentation and radiologic imaging (clinical diagnosis). According to diagnostic method, frequency of clinical diagnosis was highest in patients with luminal (50.7%) or peritoneal (64.3%) TB, while frequency of microscopic diagnosis was highest in patients with visceral TB (68.2%), and frequency of histologic diagnosis was highest in patients with nodal TB (85.2%). Interestingly, most patients, except those with nodal TB, showed a good response to anti-TB agents, with 84.2% showing a complete response. The mortality rate was only 1.4% in the present study. Conclusions Most patients responded very well to anti-TB therapy, and surgery was required in only a minority of cases of suspected abdominal TB.

There has been reported increased incidence of ovarian tuberculosis in the tropics since the advent of HIV/AIDS disease. We report a case of bilateral ovarian tuberculosis associated with a single right kidney of uncertain origin in an immunocompetent 15-year-old generally healthy-looking girl. Abdominopelvic scan was equivocal about the diagnosis of the lesion as it failed to differentiate it from malignancy. Tuberculin and histopathology were necessary to confirm the diagnosis of ovarian tuberculosis. Antituberculous medical therapy successfully resolved the disease.

Hepatic tuberculosis presents one of the rare forms of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. It is usually secondary to infection in the lung or the gut. Tuberculous liver abscess is the rarer manifestation even in endemic areas of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Hepatogastric fistula secondary to tuberculous liver abscess has never been reported in literature. We herein report a case of a disseminated tuberculous liver abscess complicated by hepatogastric fistula, which posed a considerable diagnostic challenge. It was treated successfully with anti tubercular drugs. Liver abscess with atypical features and non responsive to antibiotics should raise the suspicious of tuberculosis or fungal infections.

The incidence of Tuberculosis (TB) is high especially in developing countries but primary para-nasal TB is still a rarity. The latter often remains quiescent until it reaches an advanced stage and offers a diagnostic challenge. In the present case report maxillary sinus TB mimicked a destructive periodontitis induced space infection, thus causing a delay in treatment. The present case report describes clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and outcome of a 50-year-old diabetic/HIV seronegative patient with histopathologically confirmed case of maxillary sinus TB.

Summary Background: Intestinal tuberculosis can closely mimic Crohn’s disease and colon cancer. Presented here is a case of intestinal tuberculosis that closely mimicked both. Case Report: A 23 year old Hispanic female presented with several months of weight loss, recurrent fever, and emesis. The patient did not have pulmonary symptoms or radiographic evidence of tuberculosis. Colonoscopy evaluation with biopsy of the affected bowel segments were thought to be consistent with either colon cancer or Crohn’s Disease. Acid fast bacilli staining and histological analysis did not display evidence of tuberculosis on two separate occasions. The patient developed colonic obstruction acutely during the course of treatment requiring resection of the affected bowel segment. Acid fast staining of the resected lymph nodes was positive and submucosal caseating granulomas were identified histologically, consistent with intestinal tuberculosis. Conclusions: Intestinal tuberculosis remains a diagnostic challenge. Consideration of the disease should be maintained in equivocal cases.

Breast tuberculosis is an uncommon form of entity especially in the infra.mammary area. A 25. year.old female, presented with a lump in the breast and infra.mammary area. She was having off and on fever without any other complaints. There was no positive family history. Primary breast tuberculosis was diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology wherein ZN stain for acid fast bacilli was positive. The patient received antitubercular drugs and at 3 month follow up the swelling had resolved and the patient was asymptomatic. Breast tuberculosis is a rare disease with non.specific clinical, radiological, and histological findings. Misdiagnosis is common as biopsy specimens are pauci.bacillary and investigations such as microscopy and culture are frequently negative. Keywords: Abscess, Breast, Extra.pulmonary, Infra.mammary, Lump, Tuberculosis

OBJETIVO: O presente estudo tem por objetivo principal descrever uma série de nove casos de tuberculose (TB) renal em pacientes portadores de lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) ocorridos em um período de seis anos em um hospital terciário do Nordeste brasileiro. MÉTODOS: Foram identificados nove pacientes portadoras de LES com baciloscopia e/ou cultura de urina positivas para Mycobacterium tuberculosis no período de outubro de 1998 a novembro de 2004, por intermédio dos registros do Serviço de Microbiologia do Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio. Foram coletados dados demográficos, dados sobre o LES e sobre a TB renal das respectivas pacientes. RESULTADOS: Todas as pacientes eram do sexo feminino, com idade entre 19 e 58 anos. Quanto às características do LES, todas haviam tido nefrite lúpica em algum momento da evolução, das quais três haviam utilizado ciclofosfamida previamente à infecção. A dose média de prednisona antes do diagnóstico de TB renal variou entre 7, 5 e 20 mg/dia. O diagnóstico de TB renal foi feito por meio de cultura positiva em cinco pacientes e por intermédio de baciloscopia apenas em quatro pacientes. As manifestações laboratoriais mais freqüentes foram leucocitúria e hematúria. A recidiva da TB renal ocorreu em quatro pacientes. CONCLUSÃO: A ocorrência de TB renal em pacientes com LES deve ser suspeitada na presença de piúria estéril e/ou hematúria persistentes, em especial em populações de países em desenvolvimento. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the present study was to describe a series of nine cases of renal tuberculosis (TB) in patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) over a period of six years at a tertiary-level hospital in Northeastern Brazil. METHODS: Nine SLE patients with renal TB confirmed by bacterioscopy (n=4) or urine culture (n=5) positive for M. tuberculosis between October 1998 and November 2004 were sampled from the records of the microbiology department of Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio. Data were collected regarding demographics, SLE and renal TB. RESULTS: All patients were female, aged between 19 and 58 years and had a history of lupus nephritis. Three had been on cyclophosphamide therapy prior to TB infection. The average dose of prednisone administered before the diagnosis of renal TB ranged between 7.5 and 20 mg/day. The most common laboratory findings were leukocyturia and hematuria. Renal TB recurred in four patients. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of renal TB in SLE patients should be suspected in the presence of persistent sterile pyuria and/or hematuria, especially in developing countries.

Aims To assess the definitions used by authors for pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis, definitions which are ostensibly standardized in the literature by the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Thoracic Society (ATS) definitions. Methodology Thirty-seven papers used for the study of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, identified by PubMed and Google Scholar searches identified through an earlier study on extrapulmonary tuberculosis and updated, were analyzed for specifics regarding how extrapulmonary, pulmonary, pleural and disseminated tuberculosis were defined. Data were tabulated and analyzed using STATA 11. Results Thirty-one (84%) of the papers provided data on the numbers of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary cases. The papers were from 34 institutions in 20 nations. Only 14 (38%) of the series reported the number of patients with combined pulmonary and extrapulmonary disease. Among all patients, in only four were the combined patients analyzed as a completely separate category with combined cases otherwise excluded (11), counted as extrapulmonary (7), as pulmonary (3) or both extrapulmonary and pulmonary (1) tuberculosis or unclearly documented (11). Pleural disease was included as extrapulmonary in 25 patients (68%), but as pulmonary in 4 (11%), and there was no criterion in the remaining 8 (22%). In 18 of the studies where disseminated or miliary disease were defined, 5 of the disseminated were categorized otherwise (e.g., along with combined pulmonary and extrapulmonary cases). Conclusion There is much confusion in the categorization of clinical tuberculosis. The standardized WHO, CDC, and ATS definitions are not always adhered to in collating and analyzing tuberculosis data by authors studying extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The recommendation that pleural disease be considered extrapulmonary is not adhered to in a sizable percentage (32%) of studies and the exclusion of disseminated or miliary disease in a subset of patients is also inconsistent. More restrictive guidelines are needed in the definitions used for tuberculosis so that studies and meta-analyses can be performed with greater validity.

In order to assess the confusion attendant with current definitions of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, pleural and miliary disease, a set of 37 papers published which analyzed disease states were assessed for how the terms adhered to official definitions of the American Thoracic Society, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control. The findings showed uncertainties in the classification of extrapulmonary disease, a frequent inconsistency in the inclusion of pleural disease within pulmonary rather than extrapulmonary disease, and the ambivalent use of the terms pleural and disseminated tuberculosis. Further attention by editors and authors is needed in the use of tuberculosis definitions.