Ultrasound guided cytological aspiration of supraclavicular lymph nodes in patients with suspected lung cancer

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in the UK. Pathological diagnosis traditionally requires invasive procedures such as bronchoscopy, mediastinoscopy, or image guided biopsy. Ultrasound of the neck with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of enlarged but impalpable supraclavicular nodes has been used in patients with suspected lung cancer who have N2 or N3 disease on staging computed tomography (CT). If positive, this technique helps to both stage the patient and provide a cytological diagnosis. METHODS: 101 patients were enrolled prospectively over a 1 year period. FNAC was performed on all supraclavicular nodes over 5 mm in size using the capillary aspiration technique. RESULTS: Sixty one of the 101 patients had enlarged supraclavicular nodes and underwent FNAC. The overall malignant yield was 45.5% of patients scanned and 75.4% of patients sampled. As a result of FNAC, 43 patients (42.6%) avoided more invasive procedures. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound guided FNAC is a promising, relatively non-invasive technique for the staging and diagnosis of patients with lung cancer.     

The Early Use of PET-CT Alters the Management of Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Introduction  

The routine use of positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) in the staging of patients with esophageal carcinoma remains contentious, with conflicting reports of its benefit. In our unit, PET-CT has been used routinely in the staging of all patients considered for radical therapy (surgery or chemoradiotherapy). Our aim was to determine the frequency with which PET-CT influenced decision making in the management of patients with carcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction.     

Airway wall geometry in asthma and nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis

Background: Variable airflow obstruction and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) are features of asthma, which are absent in nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (EB). Airway remodelling is characteristic of both conditions suggesting that remodelling and airway dysfunction are disassociated, but whether the airway geometry differs between asthma and nonasthmatic EB is uncertain. Methods: We assessed airway geometry by computed tomography (CT) imaging in asthma vs EB. A total of 12 subjects with mild–moderate asthma, 14 subjects with refractory asthma, 10 subjects with EB and 11 healthy volunteers were recruited. Subjects had a narrow collimation (0.75 mm) CT scan from the aortic arch to the carina to capture the right upper lobe apical segmental bronchus (RB1). In subjects with asthma and EB, CT scans were performed before and after a 2‐week course of oral prednisolone (0.5 mg/kg). Results: Mild–moderate and refractory asthma were associated with RB1 wall thickening in contrast to subjects with nonasthmatic EB who had maintained RB1 patency without wall thickening [mean (SD) % wall area and luminal area mild‐t0‐moderate asthma 67.7 (7.3)% and 6.6 (2.8) mm²/m², refractory asthma 67.3 (5.6)% and 6.7 (3.4) mm²/m², healthy control group 59.7 (6.3)% and 8.7 (3.8) mm²/m², EB 61.4 (7.8)% and 11.1 (4.6) mm²/m² respectively; P < 0.05]. Airway wall thickening of non‐RB1 airways generation three to six was a feature of asthma only. There was no change in airway geometry of RB1 after prednisolone. Proximal airway wall thickening was associated with AHR in asthma (r = ?0.56; P = 0.02). Conclusions: Maintained airway patency in EB may protect against the development of AHR, whereas airway wall thickening may promote AHR in asthma.     

Systolic blood pressure as an independent predictor of mortality in the Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program

The Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program (HDFP) findings demonstrate the predictive value of baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) and of pulse pressure (PB) in five-year mortality from all causes. Grouping participants into four SBP strata revealed an approximately two-fold increase in age-adjusted mortality rate from SBP stratum I to SBP stratum IV. This effect remained after the contributions of other risk factors were controlled by multivariate analysis. In contrast, baseline diastolic blood pressure (DBP) had little demonstrable effect on mortality in this particular population. The predictive power of pulse pressure was similar to that of SBP. The group mean SBP of every stratum fell progressively during the trial, the change being of greater magnitude in the stepped care (SC) group than in the referred care (RC) group. Also, the reduction in all-cause mortality associated with SC treatment was observed at all levels of baseline SBP. An analysis using life table regression with SBP as a time-dependent variable showed that the postrandomization reduction in SBP was a significant factor in reducing mortality. Similarly, reduced DBP was also contributory. Prospective studies are required to answer definitively the question of the efficacy of treatment of systolic hypertension. Nevertheless, the present analysis of the HDFP data, despite design limitations, supports the advisability of reducing elevated systolic blood pressure.     

The effects of oral sumatriptan, a 5-HT1 receptor agonist, on circulating ACTH and cortisol concentrations in man.

1. The effects of oral sumatriptan (50, 100 and 200 mg), a 5-HT1 receptor agonist, and placebo, on circulating adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol concentrations were determined over 24 h after dosing, in 26 healthy male subjects. ACTH was measured by immunoradiometric assay and cortisol by radioimmunoassay. 2. After sumatriptan all subjects displayed a normal diurnal rhythm for circulating ACTH and cortisol compared with placebo. 3. There was a reduction in the trough circulating ACTH concentration over 0-4 h which was 18% with 100 mg (P = 0.002), and 25% with 200 mg (P < 0.001). The 5 h, post-prandial, peak ACTH concentration was reduced by 21% with 100 mg (P = 0.018) and by 20% with 200 mg (P = 0.024). The weighted mean ACTH over 24 h was reduced by 8% with 100 mg (P = 0.029) and by 8% with 200 mg (P = 0.018). The nadir concentration of ACTH over the 24 h and the ACTH concentration 24 h after sumatriptan were not, however, significantly reduced. All results are compared with placebo. 4. There was a reduction in the trough circulating cortisol concentration over 0-4 h which was 15% with 50 mg (P = 0.015), 14% with 100 mg (P = 0.022) and 24% with 200 mg (P < 0.001). The 5 h, post-prandial, peak cortisol concentration was reduced by 16% with 100 mg (P = 0.012) and by 15% with 200 mg (P = 0.017).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Peripheral and intracardiac levels of atrial natriuretic factor during cardiothoracic surgery.

Immunoreactive atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) levels were measured in blood taken from superior vena cava, right atrium, pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, left atrium, and radial arteries in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Significant (p less than 0.05) differences were seen between sites. Levels of atrial natriuretic factor were seen to rise from superior vena cava (27.5 pmol/L) to right atrium (54.3 pmol/L) and then fall in pulmonary artery (38.5 pmol/L). A further significant fall was seen in pulmonary vein (32.7 pmol/L) samples. There was no significant change in levels in left atrium (32.1 pmol/L) or radial artery (30 pmol/L). The fall between radial artery levels and superior vena caval levels was also significant. The rise from superior vena cava to right atrium is to be expected as this represents the major site of addition of atrial natriuretic factor to the circulation. We propose that the fall in levels from right atrium to pulmonary artery and from pulmonary artery to pulmonary vein suggests uptake and therefore possible local hormonal action on both right ventricle and pulmonary vasculature. The fall from radial artery to vena cava would be in keeping with atrial natriuretic factor's known systemic uptake and action.