Pneumonologia i alergologia polska
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Pneumonol Alergol Pol · Jan 2009
Editorial Comment[Management of COPD by chest physicians in Poland].
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Pneumonol Alergol Pol · Jan 2009
Review[Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema - case report and literature review].
We describe the case of a 61-year-old male patient, in which the search for the cause of chronic respiratory failure, severe pulmonary hypertension and secondary erythrocytosis resulted in a diagnosis of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE). This is a unique, recently characterised syndrome with upper-lobe emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis of the lower lungs. The cause is unknown, but one of the main risk factor remains smoking. ⋯ Diagnosis was based on chest computer tomography, which revealed upper lobe emphysema and lower lobe ground glass changes and honeycombing. Severe pulmonary hypertension (SPAP 80 mm Hg) was confirmed by echocardiography and right cardiac catherisation. The patient received long-term oxygen therapy, inhaled corticosteroid and Ca-blocker.
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Pneumonol Alergol Pol · Jan 2009
Review[Familial predisposition to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
The role of cigarette smoking in development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is well known, however only in about 20% of smokers clinical disease was diagnosed. It points to additional factors which influence the sensitivity to tobacco products. Familial clustering of COPD has been observed and genetic deficiency of alpha 1 antitrypsine with ZZ phenotype was proved to be a factor responsible for the early onset of this disease. ⋯ Although some of those studies have shown the role of polymorphism of those genes in COPD, the results are not always reproducible. This may be due to small available population samples with poorly defined COPD phenotype. It is concluded that COPD is a complex disease influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors.