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Background To evaluate computed tomography (CT) patterns of post-SBRT lung injury in lung cancer and identify time points of serial CT changes. Materials and methods One hundred eighty-three tumors in 170 patients were evaluated on sequential CTs within 29 months (median). Frequencies of post-SBRT CT patterns and time points of initiation and duration were assessed. Duration of increase of primary lesion or surrounding injury without evidence of local recurrence and time to stabilization or local recurrence were evaluated. Results Post-SBRT CT patterns could overlap in the same patient and were nodule-like pattern (69%), consolidation with ground glass opacity (GGO) (41%), modified conventional pattern (39%), peribronchial/patchy consolidation (42%), patchy GGO (24%), diffuse consolidation (16%), “orbit sign” (21%), mass-like pattern (19%), scar-like pattern (15%) and diffuse GGO (3%). Patchy GGO started at 4 months post-SBRT. Peribronchial/patchy consolidation and consolidation with GGO started at 4 and 5 months respectively. Diffuse consolidation, diffuse GGO and orbit sign started at 5, 6 and 8 months respectively. Mass-like, modified conventional and scar-like pattern started at 8, 12 and 12 months respectively. Primary lesion ( n  = 11) or surrounding injury ( n  = 85) increased up to 13 months. Primary lesion ( n  = 119) or surrounding injury ( n  = 115) started to decrease at 4 and 9 months respectively. Time to stabilization was 20 months. The most common CT pattern at stabilization was modified conventional pattern (49%), scar-like pattern (23%) and mass-like pattern (12%). Local recurrence ( n  = 15) occurred at a median time of 18 months. Conclusion Different CT patterns of lung injury post-SBRT appear in predictable time points and have variable but predictable duration. Familiarity with these patterns and timeframes of appearance helps differentiate them from local recurrence.

Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) is a new histopathological pattern of acute lung injury first described by Beasley et al. in 2002. Hallmarks of pathological findings are characterized by the presence of intra-alveolar fibrin in the form of fibrin “balls” within the alveolar spaces and organizing pneumonia with a patchy distribution. Patients with AFOP may have an acute or subacute clinical presentation. Although the pathogenesis of AFOP is not fully elucidated, it may be associated with autoimmune diseases. Reported herein is a patient diagnosed of acute AFOP associated with primary Sjögren’s syndrome. The patient’s condition promptly improved after treatment with corticosteroid.

Background It is important to determine the correlation of the CO-RADS classification and computed tomography (CT) patterns of the lung with laboratory data. To investigate the relationship of CO-RADS categories and CT patterns with laboratory data in patients with a positive RT-PCR test. We also developed a structured total CT scoring system and investigated its correlation with the total CT scoring system. Method The CT examinations of the patients were evaluated in terms of the CO-RADS classification, pattern groups and total CT score. Structured total CT score values were obtained by including the total CT score values and pattern values in a regression analysis. The CT data were compared according to the laboratory data. Results A total of 198 patients were evaluated. There were significant differences between the CO-RADS groups in terms of age, ICU transfer, oxygen saturation, creatinine, LDH, D-dimer, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-TnT), CRP, structured total CT score values, and total CT score values. A significant difference was also observed between the CT pattern groups and oxygen saturation, creatinine and CRP values. When the structured total CT score values and total CT score values were compared they were observed to be correlated. Conclusions Creatinine can be considered as an important marker for the CO-RADS and pattern classifications in lung involvement. LDH can be considered as an important marker of parenchymal involvement, especially bilateral and diffuse involvement. The structured total CT scoring system is a new system that can be used as an alternative.

Transient interlobular septal nodules displaying a characteristic branched 'pearl-like' pattern may reflect acute pulmonary lymphatic overload and should not be mistaken for other common pathological processes.

BackgroundIt is still unclear if low lymphocyte levels are directly related to immunological modifications induced by the TB infection or if they depend on the general pre-existing health impairment of affected patients. Our aim was to detect eventual differences in the immunological status of patients with pulmonary TB compared to an age and sex-matched group of hospitalized patients with other bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In addition, we tried to assess an association between alterations in the peripheral lymphocyte subsets and the development of different CT patterns of active TB and to discover differences in the immunological status and in the radiological patterns of TB presentation between patients of different geographic proveniences.MethodsThis observational study included 48 patients with TB and 48 sex- and age-matched patients affected by other bacterial CAP. The presence of HIV/AIDS, other immunocompromising conditions, and confounding chronic pulmonary comorbidities was excluded. Flow cytometry was performed on all the enrolled subjects at admission, before starting the appropriate antibiotic therapy. Patients with TB also underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan.ResultsPatients with TB showed a decrease in the absolute count of all the lymphocyte subsets compared to the CAP group. Only the reduction in the percentage of CD4+ T-lymphocytes was significant, while the percentage of CD8+ T-lymphocytes was significantly increased. Patients presenting exudative forms with atypical locations of TB showed a significant reduction in the absolute count and percentage of CD19+ B-lymphocytes compared to those affected by productive TB forms with the typical location. Despite being younger, our black Sub-Saharan Africans showed a significant reduction in the CD4+ T-lymphocytes compartment and a higher prevalence of atypical and exudative forms of TB compared with white Europeans.ConclusionTuberculosis itself may alter peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets compared to other CAP. An impaired CD19+ B-lymphocyte compartment may result in an abnormal exudative response in atypical locations and a suboptimal bacterial control. Other constitutive or environmental causes may influence immunological differences found in patients with TB, particularly in case of different geographic origins. Anyhow, flow cytometry may be of great value in evaluating the immune function of these patients.

Although the original data on systemic oxidative stress in COVID-19 patients have recently started to emerge, we are still far from a complete profile of changes in patients’ redox homeostasis. We aimed to assess the extent of oxidative damage of proteins, lipids and DNA during the course of acute disease, as well as their association with CT pulmonary patterns. In order to obtain more insight into the origin of the systemic oxidative stress, the observed parameters were correlated with inflammatory biomarkers and biomarkers of multiorgan impairment. In this prospective study, we included 58 patients admitted between July and October 2020 with COVID-19 pneumonia. Significant changes in malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine and advanced oxidation protein products levels exist during the course of COVID-19. Special emphasis should be placed on the fact that the pattern of changes differs between non-hospitalized and hospitalized individuals. Our results point to the time-dependent relation of oxidative stress parameters with inflammatory and multiorgan impairment biomarkers, as well as pulmonary patterns in COVID-19 pneumonia patients. Correlation between redox biomarkers and immunological or multiorgan impairment biomarkers, as well as pulmonary CT pattern, confirms the suggested involvement of neutrophils networks, IL-6 production, along with different organ/tissue involvement in systemic oxidative stress in COVID-19.

Objectives To evaluate automated texture-based segmentation of dual-energy CT (DECT) images in diffuse interstitial lung disease (DILD) patients and prognostic stratification by overlapping morphologic and perfusion information of total lung. Methods Suspected DILD patients scheduled for surgical biopsy were prospectively included. Texture patterns included ground-glass opacity (GGO), reticulation and consolidation. Pattern- and perfusion-based CT measurements were assessed to extract quantitative parameters. Accuracy of texture-based segmentation was analysed. Correlations between CT measurements and pulmonary function test or 6-minute walk test (6MWT) were calculated. Parameters of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis/usual interstitial pneumonia (IPF/UIP) and non-IPF/UIP were compared. Survival analysis was performed. Results Overall accuracy was 90.47 % for whole lung segmentation. Correlations between mean iodine values of total lung, 50–97.5th (%) attenuation and forced vital capacity or 6MWT were significant. Volume of GGO, reticulation and consolidation had significant correlation with DLco or SpO 2 on 6MWT. Significant differences were noted between IPF/UIP and non-IPF/UIP in 6MWT distance, mean iodine value of total lung, 25–75th (%) attenuation and entropy. IPF/UIP diagnosis, GGO ratio, DILD extent, 25–75th (%) attenuation and SpO 2 on 6MWT showed significant correlations with survival. Conclusion DECT combined with pattern analysis is useful for analysing DILD and predicting survival by provision of morphology and enhancement. Key Points • Dual-energy CT (DECT) produces morphologic and parenchymal enhancement information. • Automated lung segmentation enables analysis of disease extent and severity. • This prospective study showed value of DECT in DILD patients. • Parameters on DECT enable characterization and survival prediction of DILD.

The fate of patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage, an aneurysmal pattern of haemorrhage on CT and two or more negative angiographies is unknown. We studied the long-term outcome of patients with three negative angiograms (n = 15) and compared the pattern of hemorrhage of these patients with that of patients with perimesencephalic hemorrhage (n = 73). We reviewed the CT scans of all patients and we followed up the patients with three negative angiograms. The mean period of follow up was 65 months; the number of patient years was 81. In five of the 15 patients with an aneurysmal pattern of hemorrhage the CT scan showed a hemorrhage resembling an anterior circulation aneurysm; in the other 10 patients the center of hemorrhage was behind the chiasm but extended too far in anterior or lateral cisterns to meet the criteria of a true perimesencephalic hemorrhage (‘extended perimesencephalic pattern’). During follow up no episodes of proven aneurysmal rupture had occurred. Three patients subsequently had serious vascular events; one patient (with an extended perimesencephalic pattern) died suddenly; two patients with a pattern of hemorrhage suggestive of an anterior circulation aneurysm were left disabled, one from two episodes of cerebral ischemia and another from a spontaneous intracerbral hemorrhage. In contrast to patients with perimesencephalic hemorrhage who have an uneventful clinical course and an excellent outcome, patients with three negative angiograms and an aneurysmal pattern of hemorrhage are still at some risk of vascular complications and poor outcome. Subdivisions according to the center of hemorrhage once the anterior cisterns are involved is not helpful in identifying patients with good or poor outcome.

We describe four patients with proven sarcoidosis and minor pulmonary involvement according to high-resolution CT (HRCT) findings in whom the recently described sign of decreased attenuation on expiratory HRCT scan appeared associated with the reduction of the single-breath diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (Dlco) and the Dlco adjusted for alveolar volume. These alterations were, in part, reversible under steroid treatment. Major indexes of airway obstruction (FEV1/vital capacity ratio and FEV1) were normal, while the maximum expiratory flow at 25% above the residual volume of FVC was reduced. These observations suggest that an expiratory HRCT mosaic pattern and diffusion impairment may be early findings in pulmonary sarcoidosis and may be useful for its detection and follow-up.

We describe four patients with proven sarcoidosis and minor pulmonary involvement according to high-resolution CT (HRCT) findings in whom the recently described sign of decreased attenuation on expiratory HRCT scan appeared associated with the reduction of the single-breath diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and the DLCO adjusted for alveolar volume. These alterations were, in part, reversible under steroid treatment. Major indexes of airway obstruction (FEV(1)/vital capacity ratio and FEV(1)) were normal, while the maximum expiratory flow at 25% above the residual volume of FVC was reduced. These observations suggest that an expiratory HRCT mosaic pattern and diffusion impairment may be early findings in pulmonary sarcoidosis and may be useful for its detection and follow-up.