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Transthoracic ultrasonography is still not utilized to its full potential by respiratory physicians, despite being a well-established and validated imaging modality. It allows for an immediate and mobile assessment that can potentially augment the physical examination of the chest. Ultrasound (US)-assisted procedures can be performed by a single clinician with no sedation and with minimal monitoring, even outside of theatre. The main indications for the use of transthoracic US are: the qualitative and quantitative description of pleural effusions, pleural thickening, diaphragmatic dysfunction and chest-wall and pleural tumours. It may also be used to visualise lung tumours and other parenchymal pulmonary processes provided they abut the pleura. It is at least as sensitive as chest radiographs as far as the detection of a pneumothorax is concerned. It is the ideal tool to assist with thoracocentesis and drainage of effusions. The US-assisted fine-needle aspiration and/or cutting-needle biopsy of extrathoracic lymph nodes, lesions arising from the chest wall, pleura, peripheral lung and mediastinum, are safe and have a high yield in the hands of chest physicians. US may also guide the aspiration and biopsy of diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, consolidations and lung abscesses, provided the chest wall is abutted. Advanced applications of transthoracic US include the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The assessment of regional lung function to predict postoperative function is integral to preoperative evaluation of pulmonary resection candidates who have impaired lung function. The four validated ways are: anatomic calculation, split radionucleotide perfusion scanning with single photon emission CT (SPECT), quantitative CT scanning, and dynamic perfusion MRI. Estimations of predicted postoperative lung function based on anatomical calculations are the simplest, tend to overestimate postresectional functional loss, and should be performed in most operative candidates. Patients requiring further evaluation require one of the other techniques: SPECT, quantitative CT, or MRI. All effectively predict postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). Cost, local expertise and availability, and the need to predict postoperative VO maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) dictate the clinician's choice.

Transbronchial needle aspiration is a bronchoscopic sampling method for a variety of bronchial and pulmonary lesions. The present study investigated whether and how serial needle passes contribute to the yield of transbronchial needle aspiration at specific target sites. A total of 1,562 needle passes, performed at 374 target sites in 245 patients with neoplastic disease (82%), non-neoplastic disease (15%) or undiagnosed lesions (3%), were prospectively recorded and rated for anatomical location, size, bronchoscopic appearance and underlying disease. Positive aspirates were obtained in 75% of patients and at 68% of target sites. A diagnosis was established with the first, second, third and fourth needle pass at 64, 87, 95 and 98% of targets, respectively. The absolute yield varied strongly with target site features, but the stepwise increment to the maximum yield provided by serial passes was similar across target sites. In conclusion, three transbronchial needle passes per site are appropriate when only a tissue diagnosis is sought and when alternative sites or sampling modalities are available. At least four or five passes should be carried out at lymph node stations critical for the staging of lung cancer.

Purpose of Review: Transthoracic ultrasound has received increased interest from chest physicians in recent years. Modern ultrasound devices are user friendly, inexpensive, lightweight, and portable, which makes them suited for outpatient settings as well as for bedside investigation of the severely ill. Ultrasound is set to become a practical and essential tool for the pulmonologist in the near future., Recent Findings: An ever-increasing number of articles are aimed at describing and refining how ultrasound can be utilised by chest physicians in daily practice. Only basic ultrasound skills are required to assess pleural effusions and perform ultrasound-guided thoracocentesis. Sonographic assistance with insertion of chest drains as well as identification or biopsy of thoracic masses are more complex, and advanced skills are required for the investigation of pneumothorax and thromboembolic disease., Summary: The current literature documents the progress in the application of ultrasound for the practicing chest physician. In this article the authors describe the most recent developments and follow up with some simple but essential advice for the novice venturing into chest ultrasound.

Background: Rapid on-site evaluation has been proposed as a method to improve the yield of transbronchial needle aspiration., Objectives: This study investigated whether on-site analysis facilitates routine diagnostic bronchoscopy in terms of sampling, yield and cost., Methods: Patients with lesions accessible for transbronchial needle aspiration on computed tomography were investigated. A cytopathologist screened the needle aspirates on site for the presence of diagnostic material. The bronchoscopic sampling process was adjusted according to the results. In 90 consecutive patients with neoplastic disease (n=70; 78%), non-neoplastic disease (n=16; 18%) or undiagnosed lesions (n=4; 4%) we aspirated 162 lung tumours or lymph node sites (mediastinal: 7%; tracheobronchial: 68%; other: 25%). In 90 consecutive patients with neoplastic disease (n=70; 78%), non-neoplastic disease (n=16; 18%) or undiagnosed lesions (n=4; 4%) we aspirated 162 lung lesions (paratracheal tumours or lymph nodes: 7%; tracheobronchial lymph nodes: 68%; other: 25%)., Results: The diagnostic yield of needle aspiration was 77 and 25% in patients with neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions, respectively. Sampling could be terminated in 64% of patients after needle aspiration had been performed as the only diagnostic modality, and on-site analysis identified diagnostic material from the first site aspirated in 50% of patients. Only in 2 patients (2%) diagnostic aspirates were not recognized on site. On-site analysis was cost effective due to savings for disposable diagnostic tools, which exceeded the extra expense for the on-site cytology service provided., Conclusions: Rapid on-site analysis of transbronchial aspirates is a highly useful, accurate and cost-effective addition to routine diagnostic bronchoscopy., (Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Advances in operative technique and perioperative care have reduced surgical morbidity and mortality considerably after pulmonary resections. Various single and combined parameters of functional operability have been proposed to assess the surgical risk. Patients with normal or only slightly impaired pulmonary function (FEV1 and DLCO > or = 80% predicted) and no cardiovascular risk factors can undergo pulmonary resections up to a pneumonectomy without further investigation. For others, exercise testing, pulmonary split-function studies, or a combination of these methods are recommended. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing, most frequently performed as a symptom-limited test with the measurement of VO2max, assesses the pulmonary and cardiovascular reserves. A VO2max of less than 10 mL/kg/minute generally is considered prohibitive for any resection, a value of greater than 20 mL/kg/minute or greater than 75% predicted normal, safe for major resections. Split-function studies are radionuclide-based estimations of the ppo values of various parameters. The currently used ppo parameters are FEV1-ppo, DLCO-ppo, and VO2max-ppo. Suggested cutoff values for safe resection are: FEV1-ppo and DLCO-ppo 40% or greater than predicted, and V(r)O2max-ppo 35% or greater than predicted, combined with an absolute value of greater than or equal to 10 mL/kg/minute. The lowest acceptable ppo values remain to be confirmed by additional prospective studies. Resections involving not more than one lobe usually lead to an early functional deficit followed by recovery. The permanent loss in pulmonary function is small (approximately 10%) and exercise capacity is reduced only slightly or not at all. Pneumonectomy leads to an early permanent loss of about 33% in pulmonary function and approximately 20% in exercise capacity. Pulmonary function tests alone therefore overestimate the functional loss after lung resection.

Background: Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a bronchoscopic sampling technique used for the diagnostic workup of mediastinal lymph nodes, but the value of its routine use in evaluating peripheral pulmonary lesions is not yet firmly established., Design: Retrospective analysis of routine diagnostic bronchoscopies., Setting: University teaching hospital., Patients and Methods: One hundred seventy-two consecutive patients (126 with malignant and 46 with nonmalignant disease) who underwent bronchoscopy for a peripheral pulmonary lesion., Results: In 87 patients (51%), a final diagnosis was established by bronchoscopy; diagnoses included 81 malignant lesions (69 lung cancer and 12 pulmonary metastases) and 6 benign lesions (all tuberculosis). TBNA was used in 152 of the 172 patients (89%). Other endoscopic techniques included bronchial washing (100%), bronchial brushing (45%), and transbronchial biopsy (TBB) (27%). Concerning the different bronchoscopic sampling techniques, TBNA showed a positive result in 35% of cases, in comparison to 17% for TBB, 22% for bronchial washing, and 30% for bronchial brushing. While TBNA was diagnostic in 27.5% of the malignant lesions < 3 cm in diameter, the success rate in lesions > 3 cm was 65.5% (p = 0.03). Endoscopy-related complications included pneumothorax (n = 1), self-limiting bleeding (n = 12), prolonged coughing (n = 2), and vasovagal reactions (n = 2). None of these complications required further treatment., Conclusion: TBNA is an effective bronchoscopic sampling technique in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions. In our study, the use of TBNA increased the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy from 35 to 51% without additional risk. The use of TBNA in the clinical routine should be encouraged.

Dyspnea is abnormal respiration experienced as unpleasant, concomitant with excessive respiratory labor. This review limits differential diagnoses of dyspnea to common pulmonary causes in which dyspnea often assumes a "sudden" character. Restrictive diseases of lung parenchyma are therefore not covered. The following disease states are illustrated with respect to history, clinical presentation and emergency treatment: hyperventilation-syndrome, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, central airway-stenosis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In the case of asthma the conception of "home management" and telemedicine are presented.

The field of bronchoscopy has considerably expanded in recent years. The rigid and flexible bronchoscope are used both for diagnostic and increasingly for therapeutic procedures. For the therapeutic procedures, the term "interventional bronchoscopy" has been coined. Apart from the more traditional indications for interventional bronchoscopies, such as aspiration of secretions and removal of foreign bodies, the treatment of early lung cancer and of inoperable stenoses of the central airways - benign or malignant-has moved to the centre stage of interventional endoscopies. This review focuses on the technique and indication for the following procedures: dilatation, diathermy, cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, laser resection, brachytherapy and the insertion of stents (endoprostheses).