分子生物学假阳性致肺癌性淋巴管炎误诊为肺结核的临床诊治过程分析

2019年4月17日,武汉市肺科医院呼吸科收治1例69岁男性因外院结核分子生物学阳性诊断为肺结核的肺癌性淋巴管炎患者。该患者因“发现肺部阴影3个月,间断咳嗽2个月”入院。既往有结肠癌病史。胸部CT扫描显示双肺弥漫性沿支气管血管束分布结节伴磨玻璃影,伴小叶间隔增厚,双肺门及纵隔淋巴结肿大,双侧胸腔积液,在外院行肺泡灌洗液(BALF)GeneXpert MTB/RIF(简称“ GeneXpert”)检出MTB(极低)及TB-PCR检出MTB,诊断为肺结核,转诊至武汉市肺科医院。入院后完善结核相关检查,PPD皮肤试验阴性,γ干扰素释放试验阴性,胸部CT影像学特征不符合肺结核改变,临床怀疑BALF结核病病原分子生物学检测假阳性,建议患者复查BALF、GeneXpert及经气管镜超声引导针吸活检术(EBUS-TBNA),患者拒绝。给予诊断性胸腔穿刺,抽出胸腔积液20ml,送检显示,癌胚抗原(118.4μg/L)明显升高,提示恶性胸腔积液;最后行内科胸腔镜胸膜活检,提示转移性低分化腺癌,结合胸部CT表现,诊断为肺癌性淋巴管炎。患者后因病情恶化死亡。笔者认为,影像学表现为沿支气管血管束分布结节伴小叶间隔增厚及纵隔淋巴结肿大时需鉴别肺癌性淋巴管炎。影像学表现与肺结核不相符时,分子生物学阳性诊断肺结核需谨慎,以避免误诊误治。     

Autopsy case of sarcomatoid malignant pleural mesothelioma]

A 61-year-old man with a sensation of chest compression was admitted to our hospital. He had hemothorax. After drainage with a chest tube, chest CT scan revealed multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules with slight pleural thickening. Open pleural biopsy was performed and the biopsy specimens showed tumor cells with sarcomatoid proliferation, but no definite epithelial pattern. Initial immunohistochemical staining was negative for keratin and carletinin, but positive for desmin, suggesting rhabdomyosarcoma. After supportive care, he died due to progression of the disease. Autopsy revealed extensive invasion suggesting mesothelioma, so the immunohistochemical staining was repeated. Because it revealed patchy staining for keratin and carletinin, this case was diagnosed as sarcomatoid mesothelioma. Differential diagnosis of sarcomatoid mesothelioma or rhabdomyosarcoma is made by immunohistochemical staining, but it is sometimes difficult. For the selection of the best treatment strategy for mesothelioma especially in the early stage, we should be aware of this difficulty.     

IgG4-related pleural disease diagnosed by a re-evaluation of chronic bilateral pleuritis in a patient who experienced occasional acute left bacterial pleuritis

A 78-year-old man with cryptogenic chronic bilateral lymphoplasmacytic pleuritis, diagnosed based on left parietal pleural biopsy specimens obtained by pleuroscopy, developed acute left bacterial pleuritis. The left pleural effusion was neutrophil dominant, however, the right pleural effusion showed lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. Laboratory examinations revealed that his serum IgG4 concentration was increased, with a higher level of IgG4 in the right pleural effusion. Re-evaluation of the previous biopsy specimens using an immunostaining method revealed numerous IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltrations with IgG4-positive/IgG-positive plasma cells at 85.4%. Accordingly, the new diagnosis of this patient was considered to be chronic bilateral IgG4-related pleuritis.     

Cavernous sinus syndrome associated with nonsecretory myeloma

The case of a 53-year-old man who developed cavernous sinus syndrome (CSS) four years after being diagnosed as having nonsecretory myeloma is described. He was admitted with diplopia and dull pain over the right infraorbital and zygomatic region in June 1997. The cause of CSS was the intracranial involvement of myeloma, which was diagnosed by fiberscopic biopsy. The results of endocrinologic evaluation were almost normal. The response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy was mild. CSS caused by nonsecretory myeloma is rare and its prognosis is poor. More aggressive chemotherapy with stem cell support may be indicated.     

A case of hypereosinophilic syndrome associated with pulmonary infarction and hepatic vein obstruction (Budd-Chiari syndrome)

A 21-year-old man was admitted in March 1987 with low grade fever and chest pain. Eosinophilia had been pointed out and PIE syndrome was diagnosed in another hospital a month before admission. Steroid therapy had been started. On the first admission, the chest roentgenogram showed bilateral pleural effusion and a nodular shadow in the left lower lung field. Open lung biopsy was performed and a diagnosis of pulmonary infarction was made. Eosinophilia, low grade fever and chest pain were improved by steroid therapy. He was discharged in April 1987. He was readmitted in September 1987 because of fever, back pain and abdominal distension. On the second admission, eosinophilia (4,510/mm3) was pointed out. The case was diagnosed as hepatic vein obstruction by hepatic vein angiography, liver biopsy and ultrasonic examination. He had transient remission on corticosteroid and anti-coagulant therapy. This case was considered as a rare case of hypereosinophilic syndrome associated with pulmonary infarction and Budd-Chiari syndrome.     

An autopsy case of desmoplastic malignant mesothelioma]

On November 15, 2000, a 60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with progressive dyspnea and right chest pain. He had a 40-year history of occupational asbestos exposure, which began when he was 20 years old. On admission, his chest radiographs showed pleural effusion on the right side, and asbestos bodies were detected in his sputum. Neither a cytological examination of the pleural effusion nor a histological examination of the pleura by percutaneous pleural biopsy revealed malignant cells. In addition, we could not find any other cause for the pleural effusion (such as tuberculosis, collagen disease, or heart failure). In May 2001, the patient also developed pleural thickening and pain in the right hypochondrium, and he was readmitted to our hospital on May 21, 2001. On readmission, an enhanced abdominal CT showed multiple liver tumors, and percutaneous pleural and liver biopsies were performed. The histological findings in the pleura and liver specimens revealed hypocellular collagen tissues without malignant cells. Thus, we could not determine the main cause either of the pleural effusion or of the patient's disease. However, his condition rapidly deteriorated, and he died on August 12, 2001. At the autopsy, bilateral pleural thickening, predominantly on the right side, and invasion of the lungs were observed. The histological findings in the pleural and hepatic tissues revealed hypocellular collagen fibers with a striate pattern and areas of neoplastic spindle cells. He was diagnosed as having malignant desmoplastic mesothelioma with liver metastasis. Cases of malignant desmoplastic mesothelioma have rarely been reported in Japan.     

CD56-positive Angioimmunoblastic T-cell Lymphoma Complicated by Chylothorax

A 77-year-old woman presented with systemic lymphadenopathy and bilateral pleural effusion. Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) was diagnosed based on the results of a lymph node biopsy. AITL cells expressed the aberrant antigen of CD56. The bilateral pleural effusion was attributed to chylothorax, not the infiltration of lymphoma cells into the pleura, as determined by the pleural fluid analysis. We therefore diagnosed her with CD56-positive AITL complicated by chylothorax. She achieved complete remission by multidrug chemotherapy. AITL is commonly complicated by pleural effusion, but rarely by chylothorax. This is the first case of CD56-positive AITL complicated by chylothorax.     

Primary Sjogren's syndrome complicated by bilateral pleural effusion

Abstract:   Sjogren's syndrome can cause many organic changes, but is rarely accompanied by pleuritis. We report a 65-year-old patient with primary Sjogren's syndrome who developed bilateral pleuritis with moderately large effusions. He was diagnosed as having Sjogren's syndrome, based on xerophthalmia, xerostomia, positive results for anti-Sjogren's syndrome (anti-SS-A/SS-B) antibodies, the Schirmer test and biopsy findings in the minor salivary glands. The pleural fluid was lymphocyte rich and contained high levels of anti-SS-A/SS-B antibodies. There was no evidence of infection, malignancy or other collagen diseases which cause pleuritis. We conclude that this case adds to the eight previously published reports of primary Sjogren's syndrome complicated by pleural effusion.     

Low dose whole lung irradiation for intractable pleural effusion due to idiopathic myelofibrosis

A 63-year-old man with idiopathic myelofibrosis, diagnosed on Sept. 2004 and treated with hydroxyurea (HU), was admitted to our hospital on March 2005 because of dyspnea and pleural effusion on the right side. Effusion analysis revealed hemothorax due to extramedullary hematopoiesis or bleeding. We performed a thoracoscopic pleural lung biopsy and pleurodesis with minocycline after surgical evacuation. However, bilateral pleural effusion appeared only 2 weeks later, which was thought to be extramedullary hematopoiesis or acute transformation. We adopted a treatment strategy with low dose whole lung irradiation (4.25 Gy/5 fractions) which was followed by complete disappearance of the bilateral pleural effusion. Our present case suggests that low dose whole lung irradiation may be an effective and safe therapy for intractable pleural effusion due to extramedullary hematopoiesis.     

Pleural cryptococcosis with idiopathic CD4 positive T-lymphocytopenia

A 19-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of chest pain. He was diagnosed as having pleural cryptococcosis by pleural biopsy. His CD4 positive T-lymphocyte count was low (< 300 microl) and there was no evidence of human immunodeficiency virus infection. He was successfully treated with fluconazole. However, his CD4 positive lymphocyte counts remained low after the recovery and he was diagnosed as idiopathic CD4 positive T-lymphocytopenia. Pleural cryptococcosis is rare and its predisposing condition is still controversial. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pleural cryptococcosis associated with idiopathic CD4 positive T lymphocytopenia.     

Pleomorphic Carcinoma with Exophthalmos and a Subsequent Diagnosis of Paraneoplastic Syndrome

The patient was a 75-year-old man who developed polyopia and exophthalmos. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a mass in the left upper lobe. A CT-guided biopsy suggested lung adenocarcinoma. He was treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by left upper lobectomy. He was diagnosed with stage IIB pleomorphic carcinoma postoperatively. Preoperative head magnetic resonance imaging revealed exophthalmos and bilateral swelling of the extraocular muscles. The thyroid function of the patient was within the normal range, and he tested negative for autoantibodies. As his symptoms and swelling of the extraocular muscles improved postoperatively, he was diagnosed with paraneoplastic syndrome.     

Immunoglobulin G4-related Pleuritis Complicated with Minimal Change Disease

A 70-year-old woman with bilateral pleural effusion and respiratory failure was admitted to our hospital. Nephrotic syndrome due to minimal change disease had been diagnosed four months before admission. Because blood tests and a pleural fluid analysis did not reveal the etiology of her condition, we performed a video-assisted thoracoscopic pleural biopsy. No specific thoracoscopic findings were noted. The pathological findings revealed an increase in immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-positive cells; IgG4-related pleuritis was diagnosed. Her pleuritis improved with oral corticosteroid therapy. A further investigation was performed on previous kidney samples; however, the etiology of the nephrotic syndrome was not IgG4-related disease but minimal change disease.     

IgG4相关性肺疾病1例及文献复习

目的提高对IgG4相关性肺疾病的临床特征、胸部影像学和病理组织学的认识。方法对1例经病理证实的IgG4相关性肺疾病的临床资料进行分析,并结合文献进行回顾总结。结果患者男,62岁,以胸腔积液起病,在外院先后行胸膜活检、胸腔镜肺活检等均未能明确诊断,后至我院行CT引导下经皮肺穿刺活检术,结果示活检组织内纤维组织增生伴淋巴细胞、浆细胞等炎症细胞浸润,免疫组化示大量浆细胞(+),IgG4阳性,浆细胞最密集计数约为40个/高倍视野,血清IgG4浓度示4.07 g/L(0.03 g/L~2 g/L)。诊断IgG4相关性肺疾病,给予糖皮质激素治疗,2个月后复查胸部CT示肺部病灶较前局部吸收、好转。结论IgG4相关性疾病是一种累及多器官、以血清IgG4水平升高、组织IgG4阳性浆细胞浸润为特点的淋巴浆细胞病。目前国内IgG4相关性肺疾病的报道很少,报道这一病例并进行文献复习有助于提高对IgG4相关性肺疾病的认识。     

A case of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia]

A 54-year-old man who had been known to have a high prolymphocyte count for four years was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea in September, 1990. Physical examination revealed skin eruption, lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. Chest X-ray demonstrated bilateral pleural effusions. The leukocyte count was 232,900/microliter with 99% lymphoid cells possessing single nucleoli. The cells expressed the phenotype CD2+, CD3-, CD4+, CD7+, and CD8-. Southern blot analysis of DNA from these cells revealed monoclonal rearrangement of T-cell receptor beta-chain genes. Anti-human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) antibody and HTLV-1 proviral DNA were not detected. A biopsy specimen from the skin lesions showed infiltration of the leukemic cells which were positive for anti-MT1 antibody. Histological finding of the axillary lymph node was malignant lymphoma, diffuse, medium-sized, T-cell type. Combination chemotherapy resulted in the improvement of skin eruption, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly and pleural effusions, although his prolymphocyte count increased to 910,000/microliters. He died of cerebral bleeding in July, 1991. We diagnosed this case as T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, observed for five years.     

Primary CNS lymphoma with bilateral symmetric hypothalamic lesions presenting with panhypopituitarism and diabetes insipidus

We present an unusual case of primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma presenting with bilateral symmetric hypothalamic lesions causing diabetes insipidus and hypopituitarism. A 50-year-old male presented initially with mental status changes, polyuria and polydipsia. The patient was determined to have diabetes insipidus (DI) and significant anterior pituitary deficiencies resulting in symptomatic pleural and pericardial effusions. Brain MRI with contrast demonstrated bilateral enhancement of his hypothalamus extending to the optic tract. The extensive diagnostic workup that ensued on his initial presentation was non-diagnostic as he had no obvious site of involvement that was easily accessible to biopsy. With close follow-up, the patient had rapid radiographic progression of his disease to his cerebral hemispheres. He therefore underwent brain biopsy and was diagnosed with primary CNS large B cell lymphoma. Chemotherapy has resulted in disease remission with resolution of MRI findings, but the patient has not had resolution of the hypopituitarism or DI. This case highlights the unique diagnostic challenge of patients with isolated hypothalamic lesions.     

A case of sarcoidosis with diabetes insipidus]

A 23-year-old man was admitted because of polydipsia and polyuria. As chest radiographs and computed tomography showed mediastinal and bilateral hilary lymph node swelling, and diffuse small nodules in bilateral lung fields, we suspected sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis was diagnosed by biopsy of a cervical lymph node, and central diabetes insipidus was diagnosed by fluid restriction test and vasopressin load test. A pituitary mass was also revealed by magnetic resonance imaging. Prednisolone therapy improved all of his clinical findings except diabetes insipidus. He had to continue intranasal 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) therapy.     

A Case report on the Diagnosis of a Rare Pleural Tumor With Endobronchial Ultrasound: Breaking New Boundaries

Convex endobronchial ultrasound (C-EBUS)–guided transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is an effective tool for the diagnosis of hilar, mediastinal, and central parenchymal lung lesions. However, it has a limited utility for pleural-based masses. We report a unique case of a pleural synovial sarcoma recurrence that was diagnosed by C-EBUS.The patient had a history of inguinal synovial sarcoma. He presented with cough and chest pain. Imaging of chest revealed large right pleural mass. Bronchoscopy with EBUS-TBNA diagnosed pleural recurrence of synovial sarcoma. He underwent radical resection and pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pleural synovial sarcoma. He experienced complete recovery and resolution of symptoms.Synovial sarcoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of pleural masses. Convex EBUS-guided biopsies can provide adequate diagnosis of large pleural tumors adjacent to the central airways without need for more invasive diagnostic procedures.     

A case of polyangiitis overlap syndrome]

A 25 year old man was admitted to our hospital on June 1, 1989 because of general fatigue and pleural effusion. He had noticed purpuras and nodules on his bilateral lower legs in July 1988. He was admitted to Nihon University Hospital and was diagnosed as allergic granulomatous angiitis. Methylprednisolone was administered. In March, 1989, a nodular shadow was detected in his lung CT films. From the findings of TBLB a granulomatous lesion was suspected. However, his clinical course was rather stable so he was discharged from the hospital. Two months later, he was suffered from fever and general fatigue. On his chest X ray film pleural effusion was detected in the lower part of his left lung. The nodular shadow was increasing gradually. Laboratory findings on his admission showed leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, elevated CRP and a high titer of RA factor. He was diagnosed as hypersensitivity angiitis in a broad sense based on his biopsy findings of the skin lesion. Furthermore, the diagnosis of an early stage of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) or limited type of WG was also made from the clinical course of his lung lesion. The combination therapy with cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone was started. It was so effective that the nodule of his left lung was almost disappeared. It seems that this case is one of the polyangiitis overlap syndrome proposed by Fauci.     

A case of Hand-Schüller-Christian disease with pulmonary fibrosis]

A 42-year-old man was admitted with dyspnea and abnormal shadows on chest roentgenogram, which showed bilateral reticulonodular shadows, multiple pulmonary cysts, and pleural effusion. A month after admission, he developed severe respiratory failure and chest X-ray revealed exacerbation of reticulonodular shadows. Steroid pulse therapy improved the symptoms and chest X-ray. He had atrophy of the mandible. Bone scintigram revealed multiple hot lesions. Bone biopsy of the right tibia showed lipogranuloma, and the diagnosis of Hand-Schüller-Christian disease (HSC) was made. The percentage of OKT6-positive cells (Langerhans cells) found by immunofluorescence was 16.1% of all cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, indicating pulmonary involvement due to HSC. This is a rare case of Hand-Schüller-Christian disease with pulmonary fibrosis.     

Hodgkin's disease associated with Beh?et's disease]

This paper reports a rare case of Hodgkin's disease with Sj?gren syndrome in the course of Beh?et's disease. A 43-year-old man developed arthralgia of bilateral knees, ankles, elbows and wrists in May, 1988. He had hazy vision and was diagnosed as having iridocyclitis and chorioretinitis in February, 1989. Gingival ulcer, penile ulcer, erythema nodosum on the right lower leg and superficial thrombophlebitis on the bilateral arms appeared in June, 1989. Therefore, he was diagnosed as Beh?et's disease. He responded well to prednisolone. In November, 1989, he developed fever with positive CRP and elevated alkaline phosphatase. Multiple mass lesions in the liver and spleen with retrocrural lymphadenopathy were noticed on the abdominal CT and echogram. A cervical lymph node biopsy revealed Hodgkin's disease of the mixed cellularity type. At the same time, the patient had dry eyes and a dry mouth. Salivary gland biopsy revealed chronic sialoadenitis with lymphocytic infiltration compatible with Sj?gren syndrome. The patient responded well to ABVD regimen. He is still free of disease as of May, 1991.