Search

ObjectivesWe validated a screening protocol in which thoracic ultrasound (TUS) acts as a first-line complementary imaging technique in selecting patients which may deserve a second-line low-dose high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan among a population of asymptomatic high-risk subjects for interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) and lung cancer. Due to heavy environmental pollution burden, the district Tamburi of Taranto has been chosen as “case study” for this purpose.MethodsFrom July 2018 to October 2020, 677 patients aged between 45 and 65 year and who had been living in the Tamburi district of Taranto for at least 10 years were included in the study. After demographic, clinical and risk factor exposition data were collected, each participant underwent a complete TUS examination. These subjects were then asked to know if they agreed to perform a second-level examination by low-dose HRCT scan.ResultsOn a total of 167 subjects (24.7%) who agreed to undergo a second-level HRCT, 85 patients (50.9%) actually showed pleuro-pulmonary abnormalities. Interstitial abnormalities were detected in a total of 36 patients on HRCT scan. In particular, 34 participants presented subpleural ILAs, that were classified in the fibrotic subtype in 7 cases. The remaining 2 patients showed non-subpleural interstitial abnormalities. Subpleural nodules were observed in 46 patients. TUS showed an overall diagnostic accuracy of 88.6% in detecting pleuro-pulmonary abnormalities in comparison with HRCT scan, with a sensitivity of 95.3%, a specificity of 81.7%, a positive predictive value of 84.4% and a negative predictive value of 94.4%. The matched evaluation of specific pulmonary abnormalities on HRTC scan (i.e., interstitial abnormalities or pulmonary nodules) with determinate sonographic findings revealed a reduction in both TUS sensibility and specificity. Focusing TUS evaluation on the assessment of interstitial abnormalities, a thickened pleural line showed a sensitivity of 63.9% and a specificity of 69.5%, hypoechoic striae showed a sensitivity of 38.9% and a specificity of 90.1% and subpleural nodules showed a sensitivity of 58.3% and a specificity of 77.1%. Regarding to the assessment of subpleural nodules, TUS showed a sensitivity of 60.9% and a specificity of 81.0%. However, the combined employment of TUS examination and HRCT scans allowed to identify 34 patients with early subpleural ILA and to detect three suspicious pulmonary nodules (of which two were intraparenchymal and one was a large subpleural mass), which revealed to be lung cancers on further investigations.ConclusionA first-line TUS examination might aid the identification of subjects highly exposed to environmental pollution, who could benefit of a second-line low-dose HRCT scan to find early interstitial lung diseases as well as lung cancer.Protocol registration codePLEURO-SCREENING-V1.0_15 Feb, 17.

Severe eosinophilic asthma causes airways hyperresponsiveness, worsening symptoms and decreasing lung function, often forcing to recurrent or maintenance corticosteroids use and deeply conditioning patients quality of life (QoL). The aim of our study was to determine if and how an add-on treatment with benralizumab may improve the QoL of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. 10 outpatients with severe eosinophilic asthma (7 female and 3 male, aged 54±8.8) were added-on with benralizumab and followed-up in our accredited outpatient clinic for severe asthma at 12 and 24 weeks. During each visit, QoL was assessed by Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), EuroQol-visual analogue scales (EQ-VAS) and EuroQol-5Dimensions-3Levels (EQ-3D-5L). Simultaneously with a significant reduction in eosinophilic inflammation, exacerbations, and gaining in pre-bronchodilator FEV1 and symptoms control, all the subjects enrolled experienced a marked improvement in AQLQ [from 3.65±0.56 (baseline) to 4.61±0.67 (12 weeks) (p=0.003) and to 5.17±0.87 (24 weeks) (p=0.0002)], that covered all of the four health domains (symptoms perception, activity limitation, emotional function and environmental stimuli) investigated (p Our real life experience confirms the effectiveness of benralizumab as an add-on treatment in restoring patients with severe eosinophilic asthma to a better QoL perception already after 12 weeks of treatment.