Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J L Fico.
The authors report a case of a patient aged 83 who presented with a lipid pneumonia and a primary broncho-pulmonary adenocarcinoma of the left lower lobe. The diagnosis of the lipid pneumonia was confirmed following broncho-alveolar lavage and the autopsy confirms the neoplastic origin of the mass lesion at the left base. The authors report 16 similar cases in the literature between 1943 and 1989.
Endobronchial tuberculosis may simulate a bronchial neoplasm. It is the data from a bronchial biopsy carried out along with the X-ray and endoscopy examination followed by the bacteriology of the expectorating sputum which enables a diagnosis to be made. This form of diagnosis is known but is rare. The clinical outcome is very good after specific treatment, although the radiological signs and above all the endoscopic findings improve more slowly.
Various methods have so far been used to treat pneumothorax, including rest, needle exsufflation and blind drainage. The results obtained are varied but the recurrence rate is high, averaging 50%. With thoracoscopy, not only can the pleura be explored and the cause of pneumothorax investigated, but specific treatment of the lesions can be carried out in some cases and symphysis can be obtained by pleural poudrage, thereby avoiding recurrences. One-hundred and eleven cases of pneumothorax collected over a 5-year period are reviewed in this study; the results of exploration and those of endoscopic treatments are given and commented upon.
We report the case of a 16-year old male patient admitted for bronchial suppuration, haemoptysis and opacity with abscess located in the inferior lobe. General deterioration, notably a loss of 10 kg in 2 months, and the radiological findings were strongly suggestive of tuberculosis, pyogenic abscess or malignant process. Bronchial fibroscopy provided a diagnosis of hydatid cyst by showing shreds of the cyst membrane protruding through the opening of the posterior basal segmental bronchus. The diagnosis was confirmed by pathological examination and serological tests. The spontaneous course of the disease was favourable, with complete emptying of the cyst contents following vomica. The need for surgery is discussed.