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Background There is significant pulmonary functional deficit related to obesity, but no prospective CT studies have evaluated the effects of obesity on the lungs and trachea. Purpose To evaluate lung parenchymal and tracheal CT morphology before and 6 months after bariatric surgery, with functional and symptomatic correlation. Materials and Methods A prospective longitudinal study of 51 consecutive individuals referred for bariatric surgery was performed (from November 2011 to November 2013). All individuals had undergone limited (three-location) inspiratory and end-expiratory thoracic CT before and after surgery, with concurrent pulmonary function testing, body mass index calculation, and modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale and Epworth scoring. Two thoracic radiologists scored the CT extent of mosaic attenuation, end-expiratory air trapping, and tracheal shape. The inspiratory and end-expiratory cross-sectional areas of the trachea were measured. The paired t test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for pre- and postsurgical comparisons. Spearman correlation and logistic regression were used to evaluate correlations between CT findings and functional and symptom indexes. Results A total of 51 participants (mean age, 52 years ± 8 [standard deviation]; 20 men) were evaluated. Before surgery, air trapping extent correlated most strongly with decreased total lung capacity (Spearman rank correlation coefficient [rs] = -0.40, P = .004). After surgery, there were decreases in percentage mosaic attenuation (0% [interquartile range {IQR}: 0%-2.5%] vs 0% [IQR: 0%-0%], P < .001), air trapping (9.6% [IQR: 5.8%-15.8%] vs 2.5% [IQR: 0%-6.7%], P < .001), and tracheal collapse (201 mm2 [IQR: 181-239 mm2] vs 229 mm2 [186-284 mm2], P < .001). After surgery, mMRC dyspnea score change correlated positively with air trapping extent change (rs = 0.46, P = .001) and end-expiratory tracheal shape change (rs = 0.40, P = .01). At multivariable analysis, air trapping was the main determinant for decreased dyspnea after surgery (odds ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 1.2; P = .03). Conclusion Dyspnea improved in obese participants after weight reduction, which correlated with less tracheal collapse and air trapping at end-expiration chest CT. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Background Pleurodesis is done as an in-patient procedure to control symptomatic recurrent malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and has a success rate of 75–80%. Thoracic ultrasonography has been shown in a small study to predict pleurodesis success early by demonstrating cessation of lung sliding (a normal sign seen in healthy patients, lung sliding indicates normal movement of the lung inside the thorax). We aimed to investigate whether the use of thoracic ultrasonography in pleurodesis pathways could shorten hospital stay in patients with MPE undergoing pleurodesis. Methods The Efficacy of Sonographic and Biological Pleurodesis Indicators of Malignant Pleural Effusion (SIMPLE) trial was an open-label, randomised controlled trial done in ten respiratory centres in the UK and one respiratory centre in the Netherlands. Adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with confirmed MPE who required talc pleurodesis via either a chest tube or as poudrage during medical thorascopy were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to thoracic ultrasonography-guided care or standard care via an online platform using a minimisation algorithm. In the intervention group, daily thoracic ultrasonography examination for lung sliding in nine regions was done to derive an adherence score: present (1 point), questionable (2 points), or absent (3 points), with a lowest possible score of 9 (preserved sliding) and a highest possible score of 27 (complete absence of sliding); the chest tube was removed if the score was more than 20. In the standard care group, tube removal was based on daily output volume (per British Thoracic Society Guidelines). The primary outcome was length of hospital stay, and secondary outcomes were pleurodesis failure at 3 months, time to tube removal, all-cause mortality, symptoms and quality-of-life scores, and cost-effectiveness of thoracic ultrasonography-guided care. All outcomes were assessed in the modified intention-to-treat population (patients with missing data excluded), and a non-inferiority analysis of pleurodesis failure was done in the per-protocol population. This trial was registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN16441661. Findings Between Dec 31, 2015, and Dec 17, 2019, 778 patients were assessed for eligibility and 313 participants (165 [53%] male) were recruited and randomly assigned to thoracic ultrasonography-guided care (n=159) or standard care (n=154). In the modified intention-to-treat population, the median length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the intervention group (2 days [IQR 2–4]) than in the standard care group (3 days [2–5]; difference 1 day [95% CI 1–1]; pInterpretation Thoracic ultrasonography-guided care for pleurodesis in patients with MPE results in shorter hospital stay (compared with the British Thoracic Society recommendation for pleurodesis) without reducing the success rate of the procedure at 3 months. The data support consideration of standard use of thoracic ultrasonography in patients undergoing MPE-related pleurodesis. Funding Marie Curie Cancer Care Committee

[No abstract]

Background As promising novel treatments develop for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), early prognostication has become increasingly important. Circulating and local inflammatory cells are known to play a significant role in other tumour types. We assessed the proportion of lymphocyte populations within blood, pleural fluid and tumour stroma to prognosticate patients with MPM at diagnosis. Methods Consecutive patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven MPM were prospectively recruited to an observational cohort study and followed up for a minimum of 7.5 years. Blood and pleural fluid results at presentation were extracted from the medical records. Biopsy specimens were independently reviewed by 2 pathologists who scored the degree of lymphocytic and neutrophilic infiltration. Results Baseline results were available for 184 patients. The predominant pleural fluid cell type was calculable for 84 patients and 118 patients had biopsy specimens available for review. A low blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR p p p Conclusions Lymphocyte predominance within tumour stroma, pleural fluid or blood infers a better prognosis in patients with MPM.

As the coronavirus pandemic evolves, the focus of radiology departments has begun to change. The acute phase of imaging a new disease entity whilst rationalising radiology services in the face of lockdown has passed. Radiologists are now becoming familiar with the complications of COVID-19, particularly the lung parenchymal and pulmonary vascular sequelae and are considering the impact follow-up imaging may have on departments already struggling with a backlog of suspended imaging in the face of reduced capacity. This review from the British Society of Thoracic Imaging explores both the thoracic and extra-thoracic complications of COVID-19, recognising the importance of a holistic approach to patient follow-up. The British Thoracic Society guidelines for respiratory follow-up of COVID-19 will be discussed, together with newly developed reporting templates, which aim to provide consistency for clinicians as well as an opportunity for longer-term data collection.

Since the emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China in 2019 [1], the resulting COVID-19 disease has rapidly transitioned into a global pandemic with over 31 000 deaths and 215 000 infections in the UK as of 10th May 2020 [2]. Confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection requires reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing [3]. Chest radiographic and/or computed tomography imaging is also central to diagnosis and management [4]., The National COVID-19 Chest Imaging Database (NCCID) is a repository of chest X-Ray, CT and MRI images and clinical data from COVID-19 patients across the UK, to support research and development of AI technology that may proffer insights into the disease.

IntroductionThe British Thoracic Society (BTS) responded to a call from the pleural community to establish this new Training Standard to detail the capabilities in practice for thoracic ultrasound (TUS), which will build on the previous curricula and extend the remit to include training for the emergency provision of TUS.MethodsBTS convened a working group to produce a set of Training Standards.ResultsThis document provides a comprehensive Training Standard for TUS facilitating timely and improved management of patients with respiratory presentations, particularly (but not exclusively) pleural pathologies.DiscussionThe Training Standards document will be widely disseminated.

In accordance with guidance from the Chief Medical Officer's office and the Royal College of Radiologists, the British Society of Thoracic Imaging (BSTI) recognises that based on the available evidence computed tomography (CT) currently has no upfront role in the diagnostic work-up of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection (https://www.rcr.ac.uk/college/coronavirus-covid-19-what-rcr-doing/rcr-position-role-ct-patients-suspected-covid-19). Nevertheless, a number of reports have been published highlighting CT appearances in COVID-19, raising the possibility of a role for CT in patient management.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 In response to these reports, the BSTI published a preliminary consensus statement on 6 March 2020.6 We discuss below what role, if any, CT would play in the detection and management of COVID-19 infection in the UK, and the logistics of imaging delivery. This role is heavily predicated on the clinical context as well as the timing of its intended use within the diagnostic pathway, especially relative to the current reference standard diagnostic test, real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of a pharyngeal swab,7 and other clinical and laboratory investigations. Although it may not be feasible or desirable for isolation purposes to perform a chest radiograph (CXR), we should acknowledge that pragmatically patients with a respiratory complaint are likely to present via any number of routes (primary care, emergency departments [EDs] or outpatient clinics) having already had a CXR, other than to isolation pods outside a hospital, and work-up of a respiratory complaint would usually include a CXR in such settings. Cognizant of this fact, in the following discussion we have considered how a CXR would also fit into diagnostic algorithms, and in particular, how the use of CT would alter management in settings where a CXR was or was not available. As such, we deliberate the following questions: (1) would a CT thorax contribute to management of symptomatic cases after a rapidly available RT-PCR result? (2) Would a CT thorax contribute to symptomatic cases if an RT-PCR test was not available or had to be rationed, and (a) a chest radiograph had been performed and was abnormal? (b) A chest radiograph had been performed and was normal, or was not/could not be performed? (3) Would a CT thorax contribute to the detection and management of COVID-19 in asymptomatic high-risk cases? (4) How should imaging (CT thorax or CXR) be provided? (5) What would a COVID-19 diagnostic algorithm look like? In the following discussion, a high pre-test probability is assumed for symptomatic cases, based on one or more of: clinical presentation (Pyrexia of 37.8); acute onset persistent cough, hoarseness, nasal discharge or congestion, shortness of breath, sore throat, wheezing, sneezing; and compatible laboratory abnormalities (relative lymphopenia, elevated C-reactive protein [CRP]).8

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.

Pleural disease is common. Radiological investigation of pleural effusion, thickening, masses, and pneumothorax is key in diagnosing and determining management. Conventional chest radiograph (CXR) remains as the initial investigation of choice for patients with suspected pleural disease. When abnormalities are detected, thoracic ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) can each play important roles in further investigation, but appropriate modality selection is critical. US adds significant value in the identification of pleural fluid and pleural nodularity, guiding pleural procedures and, increasingly, as "point of care" assessment for pneumothorax, but is highly operator dependent. CT scan is the modality of choice for further assessment of pleural disease: Characterising pleural thickening, some pleural effusions and demonstration of homogeneity of pleural masses and areas of fatty attenuation or calcification. MRI has specific utility for soft tissue abnormalities and may have a role for younger patients requiring follow-up serial imaging. MRI and PET/CT may provide additional information in malignant pleural disease regarding prognosis and response to therapy. This article summarises existing techniques, highlighting the benefits and applications of these different imaging modalities and provides an up to date review of the evidence.

Importance Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is challenging to manage. Talc pleurodesis is a common and effective treatment. There are no reliable data, however, regarding the optimal method for talc delivery, leading to differences in practice and recommendations. Objective To test the hypothesis that administration of talc poudrage during thoracoscopy with local anesthesia is more effective than talc slurry delivered via chest tube in successfully inducing pleurodesis. Design, Setting, and Participants Open-label, randomized clinical trial conducted at 17 UK hospitals. A total of 330 participants were enrolled from August 2012 to April 2018 and followed up until October 2018. Patients were eligible if they were older than 18 years, had a confirmed diagnosis of MPE, and could undergo thoracoscopy with local anesthesia. Patients were excluded if they required a thoracoscopy for diagnostic purposes or had evidence of nonexpandable lung. Interventions Patients randomized to the talc poudrage group (n = 166) received 4 g of talc poudrage during thoracoscopy while under moderate sedation, while patients randomized to the control group (n = 164) underwent bedside chest tube insertion with local anesthesia followed by administration of 4 g of sterile talc slurry. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was pleurodesis failure up to 90 days after randomization. Secondary outcomes included pleurodesis failure at 30 and 180 days; time to pleurodesis failure; number of nights spent in the hospital over 90 days; patient-reported thoracic pain and dyspnea at 7, 30, 90, and 180 days; health-related quality of life at 30, 90, and 180 days; all-cause mortality; and percentage of opacification on chest radiograph at drain removal and at 30, 90, and 180 days. Results Among 330 patients who were randomized (mean age, 68 years; 181 [55%] women), 320 (97%) were included in the primary outcome analysis. At 90 days, the pleurodesis failure rate was 36 of 161 patients (22%) in the talc poudrage group and 38 of 159 (24%) in the talc slurry group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.54-1.55]; P = .74; difference, –1.8% [95% CI, –10.7% to 7.2%]). No statistically significant differences were noted in any of the 24 prespecified secondary outcomes. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with malignant pleural effusion, thoracoscopic talc poudrage, compared with talc slurry delivered via chest tube, resulted in no significant difference in the rate of pleurodesis failure at 90 days. However, the study may have been underpowered to detect small but potentially important differences. Trial Registration ISRCTN Identifier: ISRCTN47845793

Background The BTS pleural disease guidelines recommend all patients with an undiagnosed unilateral pleural undergo computed tomography (CT) of the thorax with contrast.1 However, there is no consensus on whether to include the abdomen and pelvis in the initial examination, with the BTS mesothelioma guidelines recommending this as an area that requires further research.2 Methods We performed a cross-sectional study using prospectively collected data between March 2008 and September 2018 of patients presenting with an undiagnosed pleural effusion. All patients consented for this study, underwent CT thorax, abdomen and pelvis as part of their standard work up and were followed for 12 months or until death, to ensure a robust diagnosis. Results 249 patients were included; mean age 72 (IQR 66–80), 167 (67%) male, WHO PS 0–1 (62%), 2–3 (37%), 190 (76%) out-patients, 147 (59%) right sided, 87 (35%) previous asbestos exposure. The final diagnosis was malignancy in 159 (64%). The CT thorax alone was consistent with the final diagnosis in 171 (69%). There were clinically significant findings below the costophrenic recesses in 59 patients (23.6%). Including the abdomen increased the diagnostic yield of clinically significant findings by 11.6% (n=29). Within the malignant group additional findings were of a primary tumour (6), upstaging of disease (19) and alternative biopsy sites (2). Including the pelvis resulted in 30 additional findings (12%), primary tumours (11), upstaging of disease (13) and alternative biopsy sites (3). 14 (5.6%) had an underlying ovarian cancer – 86% would have been missed if only CT chest and abdomen was performed. In females the pelvic CT revealed additional findings in 18 (22%). Conclusion CT thorax, abdomen and pelvis has a considerably higher diagnostic yield than more limited sequences in the work up of unilateral pleural effusions and this paper lends support to its inclusion for standard of care.

The use of thoracic CT for patients presenting with a unilateral pleural effusion is well established. However, there is no consensus with regard to the inclusion of the entire abdomen and pelvis in the initial imaging protocol. In this prospective UK-based study, 249 patients presenting with a unilateral effusion had a CT thorax/abdomen/pelvis performed. The prevalence of malignancy on thoracic CT was 56% (140/249). Clinically significant findings below the diaphragm were identified in 59 patients (24%). Integrating this approach into standard practice allows more rapid identification of the primary malignancy, upstaging lesions or alternative sites for biopsy.

Purpose Appropriate lung nodule management is essential to minimizing unnecessary patient recall in lung cancer screening. Two European guidelines provide differing recommendations in that participants with nodules ≥100 mm3 or ≥80 mm3 respectively should be recalled, at baseline. Nodule size estimation is known to vary between volumetry software packages (VSPs). The aim of this study was to examine the impact of choice of VSP on participant recall rates, when applying different European nodule management guidelines. An additional aim was to compare recall rates between 7 VSPs and manual diameter measurements. Methods 156 small-sized lung nodules (50–150 mm3) from the UK Lung Screening trial were measured using 7 different VSPs (VSP1-7) and also using manual diameter. The type of VSP used in the NELSON study (VSP1), on which European nodule management guidelines are based, provided the reference standard. Nodule size was compared using Bland Altman, and recall rates by Mcnemar’s test. Results Compared to the reference standard, a 100 mm3 threshold for recall, resulted in no difference in recall rates only for VSP 5 & 7. Using an 80mm3 threshold resulted in no difference in recall rates for VSP2 & 6. Recall rates were significantly higher for VSP 4 regardless of threshold and when using manual diameter measurements. Conclusions Appropriate nodule size thresholds for recall in screening depend on the type of volumetry software used. The results highlight the importance of benchmarking of volumetry packages.

The definition of primary spontaneous pneumothorax excludes patients with known lung disease; however, the assumption that the underlying lung is normal in these patients is increasingly contentious.The purpose of this study was to assess lung structure and compare the extent of emphysema in patients with primary versus secondary spontaneous pneumothorax and to patients with no pneumothorax in an otherwise comparable control group.We identified patients treated for pneumothorax by screening inpatient and outpatient medical records at one medical center in the United Kingdom. From this group, 20 patients had no clinically apparent underlying lung disease and were classified as having a primary spontaneous pneumothorax, and 20 patients were classified as having a secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. We assembled a control group composed of 40 subjects matched for age and smoking history who had a unilateral pleural effusion or were suspected to have a thoracic malignancy and had a chest computed tomography scan suitable for quantitative analysis. Demographics and smoking histories were collected. Quantitative evaluation of low-attenuation areas of the lung on computed tomography imaging was performed using semiautomated software, and the extent of emphysema-like destruction was assessed visually.The extent of emphysema and percentage of low-attenuation areas was greater for patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax than for control subjects matched for age and smoking history (median, 0.25 vs. 0.00%; P = 0.019) and was also higher for patients with secondary pneumothorax than those with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (16.15 vs. 0.25%, P 0.001). Patients with primary pneumothorax who smoked had significantly greater low-attenuation area than patients with primary pneumothorax who were nonsmokers (0.7 vs. 0.1%, P = 0.034).The majority of patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax had quantifiable evidence of parenchymal destruction and emphysema. The exclusion of patients with underlying lung disease from the definition of primary spontaneous pneumothorax should be reappraised.

[No abstract]

Introduction Dashboards are considered an effective way to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) in management practice. Publicly available NICE quality standards for the management of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and statutory requirements to submit quarterly specialised service quality dashboard information (SSQD) for commissioned ILD centres is driving the need to have readily available data on KPIs of service delivery. Our objective was to develop an electronic dashboard to capture ILD activity using recognised ‘model for improvement’ frameworks. Methods In conjunction with our business intelligence department we undertook a quality improvement project (QIP) using data stored in our ILD MDT database and patient administration system (Lorenzo), to develop an electronic ILD dashboard. The eMeasures were: 1) capture of outpatient ILD activity (something poorly assessed by HES data) 2) ILD population demographics 3) NICE quality standards for IPF and 4) the SSQD ’metric definition set’. Prototype electronic queries were built using numerator and denominator populations of ILD patients using standardised, ICD-10 coded terminology (inpatients) and named ILD clinics (outpatients) to enable automatic extraction of data. We adjusted clinical workflows, documentation and electronic queries through Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to enable standardised information collection. Results The dashboard was conceptualised in June 2017, producing monthly reports to all our stakeholders. Between July 2017 to June 2018, 1200 patients were reviewed in outpatients. For the month of June 2018, 27 new(N) and 118 follow-up(F-up) ILD appointments were undertaken (N:F-up ratio of 1:4.4). The ‘did not attend’ rate was 3.3%. With regards to the NICE quality standards for IPF, data from the last quarter suggests that 100% ILD patients were discussed in our MDT, with 82.4% patients receiving lung function within 3 months of assessment. 90% of IPF patients had lung function testing on an annual basis. Emergency admission rate for respiratory deterioration of IPF patients was 2.2%, with an annual ILD mortality rate of 6.2%. Conclusion The development of an electronic dashboard has increased the accessibility of useful data to understand service quality and delivery. It enables us to fulfil statutory requirements for SSQD submission easily, providing a platform for future benchmarking of QIPs in service delivery.

Introduction Pleural thickening (PT) not meeting the classic features of malignancy as described by Leung et al., poses a diagnostic conundrum. Patients often require biopsy or serial CT scanning to exclude a malignant process. MRI could be a problem-solving tool in this situation that may reduce invasive procedures. This pilot study aims to investigate the role of MRI in characterising those with equivocal features on CT as described below. Methods Patients were prospectively recruited over 18 months from a single centre. Those who met one of the following criteria on CT were recruited to the ‘indeterminate group’; progressive PT but A control group comprised of patients with benign PT as confirmed on pleural biopsy or longitudinal follow-up, and patients with biopsy confirmed malignancy. Patients had a DWI and a DCE MRI scan at the same sitting. Quantifiable measures such as apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from DWI and area under the curve (AUC) on DCE MRI were evaluated. Pleural pointillism (PP) which refers to detection of hyperintense areas on the pleura on b=1000 images, was also assessed. Results 27 patients were recruited to the trial, while 25 patients underwent scans and were included in the final analysis (figure 1). Three patients in the indeterminate group were subsequently confirmed as malignant and 6 confirmed as benign PT. Pleural pointillism was shown to be the most accurate method of differentiating benign from malignant PT with 100% sensitivity, 83% specificity, 75% PPV and 100% NPV. Quantifiable measures such as ADC and AUC were not useful in discriminating between benign and malignant pleural thickening, in those with equivocal CT features. Conclusion Our pilot study confirms visual assessment of the pleura using pleural pointillism is a simple yet very accurate method of examining the pleura where CT findings were equivocal. Results from this study are encouraging, however, further prospective studies are required to validate these findings prior to MRI and pleural pointillism can be adopted into the diagnostic pathway of patients with suspected pleural malignancy.

Introduction The therapeutic management of CTD-ILD and idiopathic forms differs widely, thus accurate diagnosis is essential. Several myositis-specific and myositis-associated antibodies (MSA/MAA) are now detectable that may associate with ILD. We wished to: 1) evaluate the use of comprehensive autoantibody testing to help differentiate idiopathic ILD from anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) associated-ILD and 2) determine if there were differences in clinical characteristics of ASS-ILD patients presenting to respiratory versus rheumatology services. Method We retrospectively analysed the clinical characteristics and antibody profiles of ILD patients referred between Jan 2015 and July 2017. The clinical characteristics of all ASS-ILD patients were collated. Results Twenty-five patients (11 M: 14 F), referred initially to respiratory services as ILD of unknown cause, were diagnosed with ASS, representing 3.1% of new ILD referrals received (based on 27 new referrals/month). Patients were significantly younger than randomly selected comparator cohorts of IPF and unclassifiable (u) ILD patients (ASS patients median age 59 years (IQR 50–69.5) vs IPF 78 years (IQR 73.5–82) (p Although 76% of the ASS cohort were ANA negative (19/25), co-existent cytoplasmic staining was detected using cell immunofluorescence in 84% (21/25). For comparison, homogenous ANA positivity was detected in 13/25 IPF and in 7/25 uILD cohorts, in the absence of cytoplasmic staining. Anti Jo-1 antibodies were identified in 40% (10/25) of ASS patients (ENA positive). Specific MSAs were detected in a further 11 patients (2 EJ, 4 PL7, 1 KS, 3 PL12, 1 OJ – ENA negative) using immunoblot techniques. ASS patients with ILD who initially presented to respiratory services were more likely to express non-Jo-1 MSAs (p 0.06). Conclusions A negative ANA screen does not necessarily indicate autoantibody negativity. Despite the presence of MSAs, ASS-ILD patients presenting to respiratory services were more likely to have an amyopathic phenotype. Comprehensive serological testing, including cell immunofluorescence, should be routinely considered in initial assessments of ILD patients.

Background: Pleural infection is a common complication of pneumonia associated with high mortality and poor clinical outcome. We performed a feasibility interventional clinical trial assessing the safety and significance of ultrasound (US)-guided pleural biopsy culture to increase the microbiological yield. Methods: 20 patients with established pleural infection were recruited. Participants underwent a detailed US and US-guided pleural biopsies before chest drain insertion, alongside standard clinical management. Pleural biopsies and routine clinical samples were submitted for microbiological analysis. In an exploratory sub-study, the 16S rRNA technique was applied on pleural biopsy samples, to investigate its’ utility on increasing speed and accuracy versus standard microbiological diagnosis. Findings US-guided were safe with no adverse events observed in this study. Pleural biopsies increased microbiological yield by 30% in addition to pleural fluid and blood samples. The 16S rRNA technique was successfully applied to pleural biopsy samples, demonstrating high sensitivity (93%) and specificity (89·5%). Interpretation Our findings demonstrate safety of conducting US guided biopsies in patients with pleural infection and a substantial increase in microbiological diagnosis. qPCR primer assessment of pleural fluid and biopsy appears to have excellent sensitivity and specificity.

IntroductionPleural malignancy, particularly malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is increasing in incidence due to the long latency period from exposure to asbestos to development of the disease. MPM can be challenging to diagnose. For patients presenting without a pleural effusion, CT-guided biopsy remains the primary choice of biopsy, but the diagnostic sensitivity of this investigation is 70%–75%. Therefore, a proportion of patients will go on to require further biopsies. If the first biopsy is non-diagnostic, the chances of further non-diagnostic biopsies are high in MPM.MethodsTarget is a multicentre randomised controlled trial, aiming to recruit 78 patients over a 30-month period, from 10 centres in the UK. Patients will be randomised to either the standard arm which is a second CT-guided biopsy, or the interventional arm, a positron emission tomography-CT scan followed by a targeted CT-guided biopsy. Patients will be followed up for 12 months (patients recruited in the last 6 months of recruitment will have 6 months of follow-up). MPM biomarker mesothelin will be checked at baseline, 6 month and 12 month follow-up appointments where patients are able to attend these appointments.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval for this trial was granted by the South West—Exeter research and ethics committee (reference number 15/SW/0156). Results of the trial will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at an international conference.Trial registration numberISRCTN14024829; Pre-results.

The full guideline for the investigation and management of malignant pleural mesothelioma is published in Thorax. The following is a summary of the recommendations and good practice points. The sections referred to in the summary refer to the full guideline.

Background Pleural infection is a common complication of pneumonia associated with high mortality and poor clinical outcome. Treatment of pleural infection relies on the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics because reliable pathogen identification occurs infrequently. We performed a feasibility interventional clinical study assessing the safety and significance of ultrasound (US)-guided pleural biopsy culture to increase microbiological yield. In an exploratory investigation, the 16S ribosomal RNA technique was applied to assess its utility on increasing speed and accuracy vs standard microbiological diagnosis. Methods Twenty patients with clinically established pleural infection were recruited. Participants underwent a detailed US scan and US-guided pleural biopsies before chest drain insertion, alongside standard clinical management. Pleural biopsies and routine clinical samples (pleural fluid and blood) were submitted for microbiological analysis. Results US-guided pleural biopsies were safe with no adverse events. US-guided pleural biopsies increased microbiological yield by 25% in addition to pleural fluid and blood samples. The technique provided a substantially higher microbiological yield compared with pleural fluid and blood culture samples (45% compared with 20% and 10%, respectively). The 16S ribosomal RNA technique was successfully applied to pleural biopsy samples, demonstrating high sensitivity (93%) and specificity (89.5%). Conclusions Our findings demonstrate the safety of US-guided pleural biopsies in patients with pleural infection and a substantial increase in microbiological diagnosis, suggesting potential niche of infection in this disease. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction primer assessment of pleural fluid and biopsy appears to have excellent sensitivity and specificity.

Pleural infection is increasing in incidence. Despite optimal medical management, up to 30% of patients will die or require surgery. Case reports suggest that irrigation of the pleural space with saline may be beneficial.A randomised controlled pilot study in which saline pleural irrigation (three times per day for 3 days) plus best-practice management was compared with best-practice management alone was performed in patients with pleural infection requiring chest-tube drainage. The primary outcome was percentage change in computed tomography pleural fluid volume from day 0 to day 3. Secondary outcomes included surgical referral rate, hospital stay and adverse events.35 patients were randomised. Patients receiving saline irrigation had a significantly greater reduction in pleural collection volume on computed tomography compared to those receiving standard care (median (interquartile range) 32.3% (19.6–43.7%) reduction versus 15.3% (−5.5–28%) reduction) (pSaline irrigation improves pleural fluid drainage and reduces referrals for surgery in pleural infection. A large multicentre randomised controlled trial is now warranted to evaluate its effects further.

The key aim of this guideline is to provide detailed, evidence-based guidance for the investigation of suspected MPM and the subsequent care and management of individuals with proven MPM. MPM is a rare cancer where the malignancy affects the pleura, a thin membrane of lubricating cells that lines the lungs and chest wall. The focus of this guideline is MPM as it is far more common than mesothelioma occurring in the abdomen. The 2016 Mesothelioma Audit data reported that in the UK in 2014 pleural mesothelioma accounted for 2179 cases (97%), with 70 peritoneal cases (approximately 3%). In 2007, the British Thoracic Society (BTS) statement on mesothelioma was published in response to a request from the National Health Executive in England.2 The BTS has reviewed this statement and is of the opinion that the publication is no longer fit for purpose as an up-to-date reference guide for healthcare professionals. The 2007 statement did not attempt to provide a comprehensive review of all relevant published literature and since the publication of the statement the BTS has achieved NICE accreditation for its guideline production process. The Standards of Care Committee (SOCC) of the BTS established a guideline development working group in 2014, chaired by Professor Nick Maskell and Dr Ian Woolhouse. The main cause of mesothelioma is breathing in asbestos dust—approximately 85% of all mesotheliomas in males are attributable to occupational asbestos exposures. The use of products containing asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999. The latency period between first exposure and development of the disease is very long, typically 30–40 years. Cases of mesothelioma were recorded systematically from the late 1960s. The incidence of mesothelioma has been increasing steadily since then, and current predictions suggest there will continue to be approximately 2500 deaths per year for the rest of this decade, before numbers begin to fall. (HSE http://www.hse.gov.uk/Statistics/causdis/mesothelioma/mesothelioma.pdf). The largest dataset of MPM in the UK comes from the National Lung Cancer Audit report, which described 8740 cases seen in hospitals in England and Wales between 2008 and 2012.3 Eighty-three per cent of patients were male and the median age at diagnosis was 73 years. Sixty-seven per cent of patients received active anticancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery) and overall median survival was 9.5 months, with 1-year and 3-year survival rates of 41% and 12%, respectively. The report identified significant variation in treatment and outcomes across the UK which further highlights the need for an evidence-based guideline to facilitate the highest standards of care for all patients with mesothelioma in the UK.

Aim To ascertain current percutaneous lung biopsy practices around the UK. Materials and methods A web-based survey was sent to all British Society of Thoracic Imaging (BSTI) and British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR) members (May 2017) assessing all aspects of lung biopsy practice. Responses were collected anonymously. Results Two hundred and thirty-nine completed responses were received (28.8% response rate). Of the respondents, 48.5% worked in a teaching hospital and 51.5% in a district general hospital, while 32.6% (78/239) were specialist thoracic radiologists, 29.2% (70/239) “general” radiologists with a thoracic subspecialty interest, and 28% (67/239) interventional radiologists. Of the respondents, 30.1% (72/239) did not require pre-biopsy lung function tests (PFTs); 45.6% (108/237) stopped aspirin before the procedure; 97.5% primarily use computed tomography (CT) guidance for biopsy and 88.7% (212/239) perform core needle biopsy (CNB); and 86.6% of radiologists use a co-axial technique. There was wide variation in the number of samples routinely taken with most radiologists performing 1–2 passes (55.9%) or 3–4 passes (40.8%). Sixty-four percent reported using chest drain prevention techniques to minimise the impact of iatrogenic pneumothorax, with needle aspiration most frequent (43.9%). Timing of post-biopsy chest radiography (CXR), performed by 95.8% (228/239), also varied greatly: most commonly at either 1 hour (23%), 2 hours (24.7%), or 4 hours (22.6%). Moreover, the time of patient discharge after uncomplicated biopsy was variable, although the majority (66.1%) discharge patients after ≥4 hours. Conclusion There are striking variations among surveyed UK radiologists performing lung biopsy in decision-making, pre-biopsy work-up, post-biopsy monitoring, management of pneumothorax, and discharge. The results suggest a need for new updated national percutaneous lung biopsy guidelines.

Background and objective Recent data suggest that grey-scale textural analysis on endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) imaging can differentiate benign from malignant lymphadenopathy. The objective of studies was to evaluate grey-scale textural analysis and examine its clinical utility. Methods Images from 135 consecutive clinically indicated EBUS procedures were evaluated retrospectively using MATLAB software (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA). Manual node mapping was performed to obtain a region of interest and grey-scale textural features (range of pixel values and entropy) were analysed. The initial analysis involved 94 subjects and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated. The ROC thresholds were then applied on a second cohort (41 subjects) to validate the earlier findings. Results A total of 371 images were evaluated. There was no difference in proportions of malignant disease (56% vs 53%, P = 0.66) in the prediction (group 1) and validation (group 2) sets. There was no difference in range of pixel values in group 1 but entropy was significantly higher in the malignant group (5.95 vs 5.77, P = 0.03). Higher entropy was seen in adenocarcinoma versus lymphoma (6.00 vs 5.50, P

Background Pleural infection is a common complication of pneumonia associated with high mortality and poor clinical outcome. Treatment of pleural infection relies on the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, since reliable pathogen identification occurs infrequently. We performed a feasibility interventional clinical trial assessing the safety and significance of ultrasound (US)-guided pleural biopsy culture to increase the microbiological yield. Methods 20 patients with clinically established pleural infection were recruited. Participants underwent a detailed US scan and US-guided pleural biopsies before chest drain insertion, alongside standard clinical management. Pleural biopsies and routine clinical samples (pleural fluid and blood) were submitted for microbiological analysis. In an exploratory sub-study, the 16S rRNA technique was applied on pleural biopsy samples, to investigate its’ utility on increasing speed and accuracy versus standard microbiological diagnosis. This trials is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02608814 Findings US-guided were safe with no adverse events observed in this study. Pleural biopsies increased microbiological yield by 30% in addition to pleural fluid and blood samples (combined diagnostic sensitivity 55%). US characteristics at baseline were not statistically associated with survival, fluid volume drainage, radiological improvement or need for surgery. The 16S rRNA technique was successfully applied to pleural biopsy samples, demonstrating high sensitivity (93%) and specificity (89·5%). Conclusion Our findings demonstrate safety of conducting US guided biopsies in patients with pleural infection and a substantial increase in microbiological diagnosis. qPCR primer assessment of pleural fluid and biopsy appears to have excellent sensitivity and specificity. Funding Oxfordshire Health Services Research Committee

OBJECTIVE: Diffuse pleural thickening (DPT) refers to extensive visceral pleural fibrosis with adhesion formation to the parietal pleura obliterating the pleural space. The radiological definition of DPT remains controversial with most of the literature requiring the presence of an obliterated costophrenic angle (CPA) for defining DPT. We conducted a study to investigate the variable distributions of DPT and associated lung function deficit. METHODS: 85 patients referred to a pleural clinic with suspected pleural thickening were screened for our study. Data were collected from 37 patients with DPT confirmed on CT by size criteria (≥3 mm thick, ≥5 cm wide and ≥8 cm in length), and 21 controls with pleural plaques but no other pleuroparenchymal pathology. 27 patients were excluded. Groups were matched to age, body mass index and smoking history. RESULTS: The percentage of predicted forced vital capacity showed a gradual decline from 98.9% for the control group to 83.5% in the DPT without CPA obliteration group (p < 0.05), to 79.5% in the unilateral DPT group (p < 0.001) and 66.7% in the bilateral group (p < 0.001). Similar reductions were seen in the percentage of predicted total lung capacity in the DPT with no CPA obliteration group and the bilateral DPT group. CONCLUSION: Our study shows an incremental reduction in the forced vital capacity and total lung capacity in DPT without CPA obliteration, unilateral and bilateral DPT when compared with a matched control group. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Different distributions of DPT including no CPA obliteration can cause respiratory impairment, with bilateral DPT being the worst affected.

Objective: International and national recommendations for brain imaging in patients planned to undergo potentially curative resection of nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are variably implemented throughout the United Kingdom [Hudson BJ, Crawford MB, and Curtin J et al (2015) Brain imaging in lung cancer patients without symptoms of brain metastases: a national survey of current practice in England Clin Radiol https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crad.2015.02.007]. However, the recommendations are not based on high-quality evidence and do not take into account cost implications and local resources. Our aim was to determine local practice based on historic outcomes in this patient cohort. Methods: This retrospective study took place in a regional thoracic surgical centre in the United Kingdom. Pathology records for all patients who had undergone lung resection with curative intent during the time period January 2012-December 2014 were analysed in October 2015. Electronic pathology and radiology reports were accessed for each patient and data collected about their histological findings, TNM stage, resection margins, and the presence of brain metastases on either pre-operative or post-operative imaging. From the dates given on imaging, we calculated the number of days post-resection that the brain metastases were detected. Results: 585 patients were identified who had undergone resection of their lung cancer. Of these, 471 had accessible electronic radiology records to assess for the radiological evidence of brain metastases. When their electronic records were evaluated, 25/471 (5.3%) patients had radiological evidence of brain metastasis. Of these, five patients had been diagnosed with a brain metastasis at initial presentation and had undergone primary resection of the brain metastasis followed by resection of the lung primary. One patient had been diagnosed with both a primary lung and a primary bowel adenocarcinoma; on review of the case, it was felt that the brain metastasis was more likely to have originated from the bowel cancer. One had been clinically diagnosed with a cerebral abscess while the radiology had been reported as showing a metastatic deposit. Of the remaining 18/471 (3.8%) patients who presented with brain metastases after their surgical resection, 12 patients had adenocarcinoma, four patients had squamous cell carcinoma, one had basaloid, and one had large-cell neuroendocrine. The mean number of days post-resection that the brain metastases were identified was 371 days, range 14-1032 days, median 295 days (date of metastases not available for two patients). Conclusion: The rate of brain metastases identified in this study was similar to previous studies. This would suggest that preoperative staging of the central nervous system may change the management pathway in a small group of patients. However, for this group of patients, the change would be significant either sparing them non-curative surgery or allowing aggressive management of oligometastatic disease. Therefore, we would recommend pre-operative brain imaging with MRI for all patients undergoing potentially curative lung resection.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is frequently cited as a common primary cause of unilateral pleural effusion, but in clinical practice appears to be uncommon. Objectives: In order to evaluate this observation, CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was performed in consecutive patients presenting to a single centre with a new uninvestigated unilateral pleural effusion and no clear cause and was supplemented by delayed-phase thoracic CT, optimized for visualization of the pleura. Methods: All patients underwent standard clinical assessment and pleural investigations in line with recent national guidelines and were followed up for a minimum of 1 year or until histological/microbiological diagnosis. Results: One hundred and fifty patients were recruited, and of these, 141 had a CTPA. PEs were detected in 9/141 (6.4%) patients, and of these, 8/9 were subsequently diagnosed with pleural malignancy. In only 1 case was PE clinically suspected and in no case was PE the primary cause of effusion; 9.8% (8/82) of patients who were ultimately diagnosed with pleural malignancy had PE at presentation. Conclusions: This study indicates that PE is a frequent concomitant finding in patients with malignant effusions but uncommon as a primary cause of unilateral effusion. In addition, it highlights the known difficulty of clinical diagnosis of PE in the context of malignancy. In view of this, we recommend that CTPA combined with pleural-phase thoracic CT should be considered at presentation when investigating patients with suspected malignant pleural effusion.

Background Mesothelioma is an aggressive thoracic tumour with a poor prognosis. The only treatment that extends survival is chemotherapy. However, in the UK, up to 50% of patients who are suitable for chemotherapy choose not to receive it, opting for active symptom control instead. The aim of this prospective, single-centre observational study was to describe the characteristics of patients who chose active symptom control over chemotherapy and explore their reasons for doing so. Methods Two hundred consecutive patients with mesothelioma from one UK centre were included. Eligibility for chemotherapy and choice of first-line treatment were recorded prospectively. Patient characteristics and outcomes were compared using descriptive statistics, regression analysis and survival analysis. Reasons for choosing active symptom control over chemotherapy were extracted, retrospectively. Results People who chose active symptom control were older, more likely to be female and had worse performance statuses than patients who received front-line chemotherapy. Concern over side effects, the modest survival benefit and previous adverse experiences with chemotherapy were reported as reasons for the decision. Median survival was 13.9 months in the chemotherapy group compared with 6.7 months in the active symptom control group. Conclusions This is the first study to describe the characteristics of patients with mesothelioma who chose active symptom control over chemotherapy, in the front-line setting. Important differences were seen between this group and patients who received chemotherapy, although confounding is likely to have affected some outcomes. Future research could use qualitative methods to explore patients’ reasons for choosing active symptom control, and to further elucidate the decision-making process. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12904-017-0255-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective. CTD-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) often fails to respond to conventional immunomodulatory agents. There is now considerable interest in the use of rituximab in systemic autoimmune CTD in patients refractory to standard treatments. The aim of this study was to review the experience of North Bristol NHS Trust managing patients with CTD-associated ILD with rituximab and explore possible associations with treatment response. Methods. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients who received rituximab under the Bristol CTD-ILD service, having failed to respond to other immunomodulatory treatments. Results were collated for pulmonary function and radiological outcomes before and after treatment. Results. Twenty-four patients were treated with rituximab. Their physiological parameters had failed to improve despite other immunomodulatory agents, with a mean change in forced vital capacity (FVC) prior to therapy of − 3.3% (95% CI − 5.6, −1.1) and mean change in diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide of − 4.3% (95% CI − 7.7, −0.9). After rituximab, radiology remained stable or improved for 11 patients, while worsening was observed in 9 patients. The decline in FVC was halted following treatment, with a mean change of + 4.1% (95% CI 0.9, 7.2), while diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide was stable [mean change +2.1% (95% CI − 1.0, 5.2)]. Patients with myositis overlap or antisynthetase syndrome appeared to respond well to treatment, with four patients showing clinically significant improvement in FVC >10%. Conclusion. Rituximab is a therapeutic option in treatment-refractory CTD-associated ILD. Some disease subgroups may respond better than others, however, more work is needed to define its role in managing these patients.