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Introduction: There is no consensus regarding the most appropriate management of suspected malignant pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs).

Objective: We aimed to explore the feasibility and safety of synchronous computed tomography-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) and microwave ablation (MWA) for patients highly suspicious of having malignant GGNs.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records between July 2020 and April 2023 from our medical center. Eligible patients synchronously underwent PTNB and MWA (either MWA immediately after PTNB [PTNB-first group] or PTNB immediately after MWA [MWA-first group]) at the the physician's discretion. We analyzed the rate of definitive diagnosis and technical success, the length of hospital stay, the postoperative efficacy, and periprocedural complications.

Results: Of 65 patients who were enrolled, the rate of definitive diagnosis was 86.2%, which did not differ when stratified by the tumor size, the consolidation-to-tumor ratio, or the sequence of the two procedures (all p > 0.05). The diagnostic rate of malignancy was 83.1%. After the median follow-up duration of 18.5 months, the local control rate was 98.2% and the rate of completed ablation was 48.2%. The rate of perioperative minor and major complications was 44.6% and 6.2%, respectively. The most common adverse events included pain, cough, and mild hemorrhage. Mild hemorrhage took place significantly less frequently in the MWA-first group than in the PTNB-first group (16.7% vs. 45.5%, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Synchronous PTNB and MWA are feasible and well tolerated for patients highly suspicious of having malignant GGNs, providing an alternative option for patients who are ineligible for surgical resection.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) in children under 15 years often results in airway compression, with bronchus intermedius (BI) being the most common site. Endoscopic enucleations can be used to remove lymph nodes and establish an airway in severe cases. Both rigid and flexible bronchoscopy are suitable, with alligator forceps being preferred for its ability to extract tissue. Recent studies have also explored cryoprobe enucleation.

Case presentation: An HIV-positive boy with persistent symptoms after 9 months of TB treatment was diagnosed based on his mother's and sister's Xpert MTB/RIF positive status. He was started on 4-drug TB treatment, but the child remained clinically symptomatic with abnormal chest X-ray and unconfirmed TB. Bronchoscopy was performed, revealing complete obstruction of BI due to caseating granulomas causing collapse of the right middle and lower lobes. Cryotherapy was used to recanalize the airway, and follow-up bronchoscopy confirmed patent BI.

Conclusion: While cryotherapy was effective in the restoration of airway patency in this case, there is a lack of knowledge about its use in children.

Introduction: Lung transplantation (LT) recipients are at risk of bone mineral density (BMD) loss. Pre- and post-LT BMD loss has been reported in some cross-sectional studies; however, there are limited studies regarding the serial BMD change in LT recipients. The aim of this study was to investigate the serial BMD changes and the clinical characteristics associated with BMD decline.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective observational study. BMD was serially measured in thoracic vertebral bodies (Th4, 7, 10) using computed tomography (CT) before and 3 and 12 months after LT. The frequency of osteoporosis and factors associated with pre-LT osteoporosis and post-LT BMD loss were evaluated. The frequency of post-LT compression fracture and its associated factors were also analyzed.

Results: This study included 128 adult LT recipients. LT recipients had decreased BMD (151.8 ± 42.2 mg/mL) before LT compared with age-, sex-, and smoking index-matched controls (176.2 ± 35.7 mg/mL). The diagnosis of COPD was associated with pre-LT osteoporosis. LT recipients experience further BMD decline after transplantation, and the percentage of recipients classified as exhibiting osteoporosis increased from 20% at baseline to 43% at 12 months. Recipients who had been taking no or small doses of glucocorticoids before LT had rapid BMD loss after LT. Early bisphosphonate use (within 3 months) after LT attenuated BMD loss and decreased new-onset compression fracture.

Conclusion: LT recipients are at high risk for BMD loss and compression fracture after LT. Early bisphosphonate use may decrease BMD loss and compression fracture.

Introduction: Previous meta-analyses have explored the diagnostic accuracy and safety of computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy of ground-glass opacities (GGOs). However, no research investigated the role of nonsurgical biopsies (including transbronchial approaches). Additionally, studies reporting the diagnostic accuracy of GGOs with different characteristics are scarce, with no quantitative assessment published to date. We performed a systematic review to explore the diagnostic accuracy and safety of nonsurgical biopsy for diagnosing GGOs, especially those with higher ground-glass components and smaller nodule sizes.

Methods: A thorough literature search of four databases was performed to compile studies evaluating both or either of the diagnostic accuracy and complications of nonsurgical biopsy for GGOs. A bivariate random-effects model and random-effect model were utilized for data synthesis. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed according to the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool.

Results: Nineteen eligible studies with a total of 1,379 biopsy-sampled lesions were analyzed, of which 1,124 were confirmed to be malignant. Nonsurgical biopsy reported a pooled sensitivity of 0.89, a specificity of 0.99, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 60.3%. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and NPV of nonsurgical biopsy for diagnosing GGOs according to GGO component were 0.90, 0.99, and 77.2% in pure GGOs; 0.87, 0.99, and 67.2% in GG-predominant lesions; and 0.89, 1.00, and 44.1% in solid-predominant lesions, respectively. Additionally, the diagnostic sensitivity was better in lesions ≥20 mm than in small lesions (0.95 vs. 0.88). Factors that contributed to higher sensitivity were the use of a coaxial needle system and CT fluoroscopy but not the needle gauge. The summary sensitivity of core needle biopsy (CNB) was not significantly higher than fine needle aspiration (FNA) (0.92 vs. 0.84; p = 0.42); however, we found an increased incidence of hemorrhage in CNB compared with FNA (60.9 vs. 14.2%; p = 0.012).

Conclusion: Nonsurgical biopsy for diagnosing GGOs shows high sensitivity and specificity with an acceptably low risk of complications. However, negative biopsy results are unreliable in excluding malignancy, necessitating resampling or subsequent follow-up. The applicability of our study is limited due to significant heterogeneity, indirect comparisons, and the paucity of data on bronchoscopic approaches, restricting the generalizability of our findings to patients requiring transbronchial biopsies.

Introduction: Although long-term macrolide antibiotics could reduce the recurrent exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the side effect of bacterial resistance and the impact on the microbiota remain concerning. We investigated the influence of long-term erythromycin treatment on the airway and gut microbiota in mice with emphysema and patients with COPD.

Methods: We conducted 16S rRNA gene sequencing to explore the effect of erythromycin treatment on the lung and gut microbiota in mice with emphysema. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for lung metabolomics. A randomized controlled trial was performed to investigate the effect of 48-week erythromycin treatment on the airway and gut microbiota in COPD patients.

Results: The mouse lung and gut microbiota were disrupted after cigarette smoke exposure. Erythromycin treatment depleted harmful bacteria and altered lung metabolism. Erythromycin treatment did not alter airway or gut microbial diversity in COPD patients. It reduced the abundance of pathogens, such as Burkholderia, in the airway of COPD patients and increased levels of symbiotic bacteria, such as Prevotella and Veillonella. The proportions of Blautia, Ruminococcus, and Lachnospiraceae in the gut were increased in COPD patients after erythromycin treatment. The time to the first exacerbation following treatment was significantly longer in the erythromycin treatment group than in the COPD group.

Conclusion: Long-term erythromycin treatment reduces airway and gut microbe abundance in COPD patients but does not affect microbial diversity and restores microbiota balance in COPD patients by reducing the abundance of pathogenic bacteria.

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) with empyema caused by severe necrotizing pulmonary infection is a complicated clinical problem that is often associated with poor general condition so surgical interventions cannot be tolerated in most cases. Here, we present the successful management of multiple BPF with empyema in a mechanically ventilated patient with aspiration lung abscess. Occlusion utilizing Gelfoam followed by endobronchial valves (EBVs) implanted inverted via bronchoscope decreased the air leaking significantly and made intrapleural irrigation for empyema achievable and safe. This is the first report of a novel way of EBV placement and the combination use with other occlusive substances in BPF with empyema in a patient on mechanical ventilation. This method may be an option for refractory BPF cases with pleural infection.

Introduction: Many COVID-19 survivors suffer from persisting sequelae after acute disease. This is referred to as long COVID. The objectives of this study were to assess factors associated with long COVID and to analyze differences in persistent symptoms, findings on chest imaging, and pulmonary function between intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU hospitalized patients.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study including patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Patients were stratified into ICU patients and non-ICU patients. We analyzed the outcomes of patients who were in clinical follow-up 6 months after discharge with persistent symptoms, radiological and/or functional abnormalities. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between long COVID and patient characteristics.

Results: A total of 549 patients were included. Eighty-one ICU patients (66%) and 146 (34%) non-ICU patients had persistent symptoms or abnormalities on chest imaging or lung function test minimally 6 months after discharge. Significantly more ICU patients had residual fibrotic abnormalities on chest CT and functional impairment. Female gender, myocardial infarction, OSAS, low PCO2 at admission, and longer hospital stay were associated with a higher risk of developing long COVID. Diabetes and treatment with tocilizumab were associated with a lower risk of developing long COVID.

Conclusion: Of the patients hospitalized for COVID-19, 34-66% suffered from persistent symptoms, residual abnormalities on chest imaging, or reduced lung function at around 6 months after discharge. While persistent sequelae were more frequent in ICU patients, admission to the ICU was not found to be an independent risk factor for developing long COVID.

Introduction: To objectify self-reported sleep disorders in individuals with post-COVID-syndrome (PCS), we aimed to investigate the prevalence and nature of sleep disturbances by polysomnography (PSG) in PCS compared to healthy individuals.

Methods: People with PCS (n = 21) and healthy controls (CON, n = 10) were included in this prospective trial. At baseline, clinical and social anamnesis, lung function, 1 min sit-to-stand test (STST) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were assessed. For a single-night, sleep health was evaluated by video-PSG. The apnoea/hypopnea index (AHI) was used as the primary outcome.

Results: Twenty patients with PCS (50 ± 11 y, BMI 27.1 m2/kg, SARS-CoV-2 infection 8.5 ± 4.5 months ago) and 10 CON participants (46 ± 10 y, BMI 23.0 m2/kg, no SARS-CoV-2 infection in the history) completed the study. Forced vital capacity (p = 0.018), STST repetitions (p < 0.001), and symptoms of dyspnoea (at rest: p = 0.002, exertion: p < 0.001) were worse in PCS compared to CON. PSQI score (PCS: 7.5 ± 4.7 points) was higher in PCS compared to CON (Δ = 3.7 points, 95% CI [0.4-7.1] p = 0.015), indicating poor sleep in 80% of patients with PCS. Although PSG showed comparable sleep stage distributions in both groups, AHI (Δ = 9.0 n/h, 95% CI [3.3-14.8], p = 0.002), PLM index (Δ = 5.1 n/h, 95% CI [0.4-9.8], p = 0.017), and the prevalence of sleep apnoea (60% vs. 10%, p = 0.028) was significantly higher in PCS compared to CON.

Conclusion: Quantifiable subjective limitations of sleep have been revealed by PSG data in this PCS cohort. More than half of PCS patients had signs of sleep apnoea, highlighting the importance of sleep screening in PCS.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to establish an ultrasonographic radiomics machine learning model based on endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) to assist in diagnosing benign and malignant mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes (LNs).

Methods: The clinical and ultrasonographic image data of 197 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The radiomics features extracted by EBUS-based radiomics were analyzed by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. Then, we used a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm to establish an EBUS-based radiomics model. A total of 205 lesions were randomly divided into training (n = 143) and validation (n = 62) groups. The diagnostic efficiency was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results: A total of 13 stable radiomics features with non-zero coefficients were selected. The SVM model exhibited promising performance in both groups. In the training group, the SVM model achieved an ROC area under the curve (AUC) of 0.892 (95% CI: 0.885-0.899), with an accuracy of 85.3%, sensitivity of 93.2%, and specificity of 79.8%. In the validation group, the SVM model had an ROC AUC of 0.906 (95% CI: 0.890-0.923), an accuracy of 74.2%, a sensitivity of 70.3%, and a specificity of 74.1%.

Conclusion: The EBUS-based radiomics model can be used to differentiate mediastinal and hilar benign and malignant LNs. The SVM model demonstrated excellent potential as a diagnostic tool in clinical practice.