Journal of bronchology & interventional pulmonology
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J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol · Oct 2016
CD4/CD8 Ratio in Mediastinal Lymph Nodes Involved by Sarcoidosis: Analysis of Flow Cytometry Data Obtained by Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration.
Despite mixed results in the literature, some clinicians continue to consider an elevated CD4/CD8 ratio in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid to be supportive of a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. However, the CD4/CD8 ratio in mediastinal lymph nodes involved by sarcoidosis has not been extensively studied. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the CD4/CD8 ratio in mediastinal lymph node aspirates obtained by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for diagnosing sarcoidosis. ⋯ As in BAL fluid, the CD4/CD8 ratio in mediastinal lymph nodes involved by sarcoid granulomas is highly variable and does not reliably confirm or exclude sarcoidosis.
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J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol · Jul 2016
Transbronchial Cryobiopsy in Interstitial Lung Disease: Are We on the Right Path?
A definitive and specific diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) often requires a histologic analysis of the lung parenchyma. A transbronchial biopsy with forceps has a limited diagnostic yield for idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. The incorporation of a transbronchial lung cryobiopsy for diagnosing ILD appears to be very promising, although there are only a few published studies in this regard. Our paper shows the results of using this technique in our center. ⋯ A transbronchial lung cryobiopsy using a flexible cryoprobe has a good diagnostic yield and might be an alternative to consider in cases of diffuse ILD in which a histologic sample is required for diagnosis. This technique could avoid a large number of surgical biopsies.
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J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol · Apr 2016
Intrapleural Fibrinolytic Therapy in Patients With Nondraining Indwelling Pleural Catheters.
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has been successfully used to relieve obstruction of dysfunctional devices, including vascular catheters. Intrapleural tPA is used by some centers to restore flow of nondraining indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) in symptomatic patients with malignant pleural effusions (MPEs). Because few studies have evaluated its safety and effectiveness, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of outcomes after tPA treatment during a 10-year period at our institution. ⋯ On the basis of our finding of successful flow restoration with few complications, we recommend intrapleural tPA treatment for symptomatic patients with nondraining IPCs in the setting of persistent pleural fluid.