Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews - Volume 17, Issue 2, 2021

Asthma is a complex and highly heterogeneous disorder, having many clinical phenotypes and underlining mechanisms, a broad spectrum of severity, and variable response to controller therapy. Intensive research has been focused on the identification and validation of the most appropriate biomarkers in the clinical management of asthma, mostly addressed to severe and refractory cases. The use of reliable bio Read More

The article provides an overview of modern concepts of induced sputum analysis and a description of the methodology and protocols for the collection of induced sputum in adults and children. This paper describes the cellular composition of induced sputum in healthy people and in patients with asthma in detail, analyses the significance of the sputum eosinophil count as a prognostic and diagnostic criterion and the Read More

Aim: The aim of the study was to present existing evidence regarding the association between bronchial asthma and lung cancer risk, the impact of lung cancer treatment on asthma control as well as the impact of pre-existing asthma on lung cancer survival. Methods: A narrative review of all the relevant published literature has been conducted. Results: Published evidence suggests that patients with bronchial asthma are at a Read More

Obstructive pulmonary diseases are a group of respiratory conditions characterized by airflow limitation. They are prevalent in the population and lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The two most commonly encountered conditions are asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Although, for many years, the two conditions were regarded as separate, it was realized that some patients may have Read More

Obesity and asthma are two conditions that are considered a global health problem. There has been an increased number of obese patients and different factors contribute to the development of this disease, such as changes in lifestyle, poor physical activity, and genetics. Obesity, as a co-morbidity, could contribute to the aggravation of asthma or the progress and exacerbation. This could lead to asthma-related hospitaliz Read More

Background: Approximately 3-10% of all asthmatics are refractory with severe disease, although they use optimal preventive treatment. This is reflected as a disproportionate increase in the cost of health care. Thus, bronchial thermoplasty has been developed as an add-on therapy for these refractory asthmatics. Objective: This review aims to give an update on bronchial thermoplasty in severe asthma regarding patho Read More

Background: Pleuroscopy (medical thoracoscopy) is a minimally invasive procedure to inspect and perform a biopsy of the pleural space as well as to perform therapeutic interventions; pleural fluid drainage and pleurodesis. Materials and Methods: In a retrospective study in Kasra Hospital, Tehran,Iran, the patients with exudative pleural effusion of unknown etiology who underwent pleuroscopy, were evaluated. These patien Read More

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is complicated by the presence of frequent and recurrent acute exacerbations. The patients are asymptomatic and stable in the early stages. They develop weakness of primary respiratory muscles and use accessory muscles, which lead to postural changes. The forward head posture is very common in COPD patients due to increased usage of accessory muscl Read More

Background: The prevalence of fungal infections has been increasing in recent years. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects organs such as the intestines, liver, pancreas, and especially the lungs. Introduction: Fungal pathogens are becoming a challenge in CF. Advanced medical science is associated with longer life expectancy in some patient groups. Method: A review was conducted on studies found on online da Read More

Objective: We designed novel practical simulation models for VATS lung nodule palpation and vessel dissection, and subsequently evaluated the performances of the residents in our thoracic surgery program to account for the appropriate level of difficulty and grade the learning experience. Methods: Artificial lung nodules were formed by injecting sheep heart lung blocks with either cyanoacrylate or construction grade silicon Read More