Clinical Lectures Flashcards
Angle of Louis
T4/T5 intervertebral disc
Bifurcation of trachea
Start and end of aortic arch
Azygous vein enters SVC
Lung cancer
Mainly non small cell lung cancer NSCLC 81%, small cell 13%
Clinical features: smoker, heamoptysis, weight loss, dyspnoea, cough, chest pain, hoarse voice
Examination findings: features suggesting metastases, finger clubbing, cervical/supraclavicular lymphadenopathy, SVC obstruction
How do we find it: CXR then CT chest to confirm cancer, staging via bronchoscopy, biopsy, PET, endobronchial ultrasound EBUS
Treat: surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy
complications: SVC obstruction (raised JVP, cyanosis lips, collaterals), Horners syndrome (miosis, ptosis, enopthalmos), pleural effusion, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy
Pleural effusion
Clinical features: dyspnoea, pain, reduced expansion, dull percussion note, reduced vocal resonance
Leakage into the pleural space produced by pathology in pleural space
Managing: tap fluid, aspirate, drain
Mesothelioma
Cancer of pleura related to asbestos exposure
Risk professions
Common presentations: pain, pleural effusion, diagnostic path similar to Lung cancer
Treatment: chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery (pleurectomy), immunotherapy, gene therapy
What is the pulmonary interstitium
Interstitial compartment is the portion of the lung sandwiched between epithelium and endothelial basement membrane, section that surrounds alveolar sac and space between capillary
Only visible radiographically when disease increases its volume and attentuation
Loose connective tissue
Bronchovascular division
Parenchymal division
Subpleural division
interstitium is where diffusion for gas exchange occurs
Pulmonary fibrosis
Type of interstitial lung disease
Restrictive disease, low FVC normal FEV1/FVC because fev1 and FVC reduced, low RV low TLC, spirometry, CXR, CT thorax. Subpleural reticular shadows, honeycombing, lung biopsy
DLCO- diffusing capacity is low
Scarring of the lung parenchyma usually following inflammation
Symptoms: dry cough, dyspnoea, fine end inspiratory crackles
Common in: 60-70 males, smokers, family history
Treatment: pirfenidone- anti-fibrotic, ambulatory O2/ lung transplant
Complications: poor prognosis: median survival rate 2.5-3.5 years
Sarcoidosis interstitial lung disease
Inflammatory condition defined by presence of ‘non-caseating granulomas’ these are small patches of red and swollen tissue
Clinical features: cough, gradual onset SOB, polyarthralgia, Löfgrens syndrome
Who: Afro-Caribbean, young adults, females, family history
Diagnosis: routine bloods, calcium raised, CXR, CT chest (ground glass appearance)
Treatment: observation or steroids, maybe immunosuppression (methotrexate)
Complications: pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failure fibrosis
Usual interstitial pneumonia UIP
Basal
Peripheral/sub-pleural
Not much ground glass
Honeycombing
Nil on antibodies etc
Non-specific interstitial pneumonia NSIP
Anything non specific
Generally better prognosis than classical UIP
Bronchoscopy may help, cell types on washing BAL
No honeycombing, only mild inflammatory changes
Management of interstitial lung diseases
Depends on cause, histology, severity, rapidity of progression
IPF- pirfenidone or nintedanib antifibrotics
Progressive pulmonary fibrosis nintendamib
Autoimmune disease-> immunosuppression
Transplantation
Monitor using PFTs pulmonary function tests
COP- corticosteroids
Smoking related ILD- respiratory bronchiolitis ILD RB-ILD etc smoking cessation
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis- avoidance of causative agent, corticosteroids
CTD-ILD- immunosuppression- corticosteroids
Sarcoidosis -corticosteroids
Treatments for IPF- antifibrotics
Pirfenidone:
5-methyl-1-phenylpyridin-2-one
Inhibits TGF-beta stimulated collagen synthesis
Decreases extracellular matrix
Inhibits fibroblast proliferation
Nintedanib:
BIBF 1120
Intracellular tyrosine kinase inhibitor
Extrinsic ‘allergic’ alveolitis EAA/ hypersensitive pneumonitis
Caused by inhalation of organic particles
Antibody formation ‘precipitins’ & T cell sensitisation
-leads to type III/ type IV hypersensitivity lung damage
Acute- may be confused with asthma or bronchitis dry cough, hypoxia, fevers, myalgia
Chronic- progressive dyspnoea, irreversible lung damage
Sub acute
Presentation determined by type exposure
Short and intense= acute, pigeon breeder etc
Long and low grade= chronic, fibrosis parrot owner
Diagnosis- identification potential antigen, characteristic radiological findings. Treatment- antigen avoidance, steroids
Granulomatous lung disease
Bugs: TB , fungi
Inflammatory: sarcoidosis , extrinsic allergic alveolitis
Vasculitic: Churg-strauss, Wegeners- granulomatosis with polyangiitis, polyarteritis nodosa
Löfgren’s syndrome
Triad:
-BHL- bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy
-erythema nodosum- skin inflammation red painful lumps most common front of legs
-polyarthralgia
Vasculitis
Inflammation of blood vessels
May obstruct vessels or cause bleeding
Often multisystemic, commonly renal
Eg Wegeners granulomatosis, goodpastures disease
Pulmonary haemorrhage
Dyspnoea, haemoptysis, looks opaque on CXR, PFTs show high gas transfer, visualise at bronchoscopy
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (inflammation vessels)
Upper airway: granulomas- bleeding, sinusitis, saddle nose- septal destruction
Lungs: haemorrhage, cavities
Airway disease
Disease predominantly of the airways of the lung (bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli) where gas/air travels in inspiration and expiration. Include asthma, copd, bronchitis
Variable airflow limitation
Airway hyper responsiveness
Chronic airflow limitation
Airway inflammation
Measurements in airways diseases
Spirometry with the effect of an inhaled beta agonist it measure reversibility
PEF to measure diurnal variation of airflow limitation
Post beta agonist spirometry for chronic airflow limitation
Methacholine tests to measure airway responsiveness
Measures inflammation- exhaled NO, blood eosinophils, total IgE