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Persistent parenchymal lung changes are an important long-term sequela of COVID-19. There are limited data on this COVID-19 infection sequela characteristics and trajectories. This study aims to evaluate persistent COVID-19-related parenchymal lung changes 10 weeks after acute viral pneumonia and to identify associated risk factors.This is a retrospective case-control observational study involving 38 COVID-19 confirmed cases using nasopharyngeal swab reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC) Hospital, Makkah. Patients were recruited from the post-COVID-19 interstitial lung disease (ILD) clinic. Referral to this clinic was based on the pulmonology consultant's assessment of hospitalized patients suspected of developing COVID-19-related ILD changes during hospitalization.Thirty-eight patients with parenchymal lung changes were evaluated at the ILD clinic. Nineteen patients who had persistent parenchymal changes 10 weeks after the acute illness (group 1) were compared with 19 control patients who had accelerated clinical and/or radiological improvement (group 2). Group 1 was found to have the more severe clinical and radiological disease, with a higher peak value of inflammatory biomarkers. Two risk factors were identified, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)3.13 at admission increases the odds ratio (OR) of chronic parenchymal changes by 6.42 and 5.92 in the univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively. Invasive mechanical ventilation had a more profound effect with ORs of 13.09 and 44.5 in the univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively.Herein, we found that only receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and having NLR3.13 at admission were strong risk factors for persistent parenchymal lung changes. Neither the clinical severity of the acute illness nor the radiological one is found to predict this outcome. None of the medications received during the acute illness were found to alter the risk for this post-COVID-19 infection sequelae. more...

Background: Persistent parenchymal lung changes are an important long-term sequela of COVID-19. There are limited data on the disease characteristics and trajectories. This study aims to evaluate persistent COVID-19-related parenchymal lung changes after 10 weeks of acute viral pneumonia and to identify its risk factors. Methods: This was a retrospective case-control observational study involving 38 COVID-19 confirmed cases using nasopharyngeal swab reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) at King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC) hospital, Makkah. Patients were recruited from the Post-COVID interstitial lung disease (ILD) clinic. Referral to this clinic was based on the pulmonology consultants’ assessment of hospitalized patients suspected of developing COVID-19-related ILD changes during hospitalization. Measurements and Main Results: Nineteen patients with persistent parenchymal lung changes after 10 weeks of the acute illness (group-1) were compared with 19 control patients referred for assessment of post-COVID-19 ILD and had accelerated clinical and/or radiological features (group-2). Group-1 was found to have more severe clinical and radiological disease, with higher peak value of inflammatory biomarkers. Two risk factors were identified, NLR >3.13 at admission increases the odds ratio (OR) of chronic parenchymal changes by 6.42 and 13.09 in the univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively. Invasive mechanical ventilation had a more profound effect with ORs of 5.92 and 44.5 in the univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively.Conclusion: Herein, persistent parenchymal lung changes were observed in several patients 10 weeks after acute COVID-19 infection. We found that only receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and NLR >3.13 at admission were strong risk factors for persistent parenchymal lung changes. more...

A 35-year-old man, a known asthmatic and with a history of smoking presented with a history of recurrent episodes of mild haemoptysis. On examination, there was decreased intensity of breath sounds on the right infraclavicular area. The chest X-ray and CT chest showed a mass in right upper lobe with nodules in the other lobe. The VAT showed large heavily vascularised mass with surface laden with multiple nodules. The wedge resection of the mass was taken and sent for histopathology examination. The biopsy result showed picture suggestive of connective tissue disease associated follicular bronchiolitis. The patient did not have any signs or symptoms of connective tissue disease. However he was positive for Rheumatoid factor, ANA, anti-RO, anti-CCP antibodies. He was started on steroids and azathioprine. After 6 months of treatment, the size of the mass and nodules reduced by 50% and ESR was reduced to 5 from 75. more...

A 21-year-old Saudi man presented with a history of dysphagia and choking. CT scan of the chest showed clear evidence of chronic recurrent aspiration pneumonia in the left lung. It also showed a fistula connecting the left main bronchus to the oesophagus. Endoscopy showed clear opening on the oesophageal side. Bronchoscopy also confirmed the presence of a broncho-oesophageal fistula on the left bronchial side with the presence of secretions on swallowing. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was done and sent for mycobacterial tuberculosis culture. The fistula was closed with clips under endoscopic guidance, which alleviated his symptoms of dysphagia and choking. The BAL culture grew mycobacterial tubercle bacilli. The patient showed marked improvement after starting antitubercular therapy and was discharged to be followed up in the clinic. more...

We present, for the first time to our knowledge, a patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) with pulmonary Bronchial-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (BALT) lymphoma, refractory to chemotherapy but after a single four-week course of rituximab experienced significant regression of pulmonary lesions and remained progressionfree six months post- treatment. This case report demonstrates the promising role for rituximab in refractory BALT lymphoma. more...