Imaging the airways has always been a difficult task. Since the introduction of high resolution computed tomography a lot has been achieved in this area, specially in the visualization of the small airways. With the fine details provided by this technique, morphological changes related to the bronchioles can now be detected in a way hitherto impossible. This study was aimed at the description of the CT scan signs of airway disease that were present in a group of 36 patients suffering from chronic respiratory symptoms of cough and great amount of sputum production (bronchial suppuration) attending the outpatient clinics of the Pulmonary Disease Service of the State University of Campinas School of Medicine. Among these patients, 12 were diagnosed as having cystic fibrosis, and 24, other diseases with chronic sputum production. The authors looked for the direct signs of airway disease, such as thickening of the wall and dilatation of the lumen of large airways and these same abnormalities, appearing as micronodules at the center of the lobule and branching linear opacities, or a combination of the two (the so-called "tree in bud" pattern), when the disease is predominantly located in the small airways, in the films obtained from all the patients. The indirect signs of small airway disease, like mosaic perfusion and air-trapping, were also analyzed. Imaging of the airways has come of age with the use of high-resolution computed tomography and there is little doubt that this technique is now the most sensitive radiographic method for imaging the small airways, this previously hidden area of the lungs.

Keywords: Computed tomography. High resolution computed tomography. Airway diseases. Bronchiolar diseases. Bronchiectasis.

Introduction: At present, chest radiography (CR) is the main instrument used in the diagnosis of silicosis, following the International Labor Organization (ILO) recommendations. In incipient cases, the interpretation of radiographs is difficult and disagreement may occur, even among experienced readers. Recently, the possibility of evaluating incipient cases by using high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) has been considered. Objective: To compare CR with HRCT results. Patients and methods: An original group of 135 ex-miners were evaluated by CR, according to ILO recommendations, examined by three readers, from November 1997 to December 1999. HRCT was indicated to 68 patients whose median profusion readings was 1/0 or below. HRCT results were examined by two readers and, in cases of disagreement, a third reader was consulted. HRCT results were classified according to micronodule profusion into categories 0 to 3. CR and HRCT results were compared using McNemar test, weighed Kappa coefficient and log-linear models. Results and conclusion: There was good agreement among the methods in category 0, so it was concluded that both methods are similar in excluding the diagnosis of silicosis. However, in category 1 or greater (diagnosis of the disease) a good agreement among the methods was not observed.

Keywords: Silicosis. Thoracic radiography. Tomography X-ray computed. Pneumoconiosis.

Objective: To describe and analyze clinical symptoms and spirometric alterations of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and history of exposure to wood and tobacco smoke. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated data related to 170 patients distributed into 3 groups: 34 exposed only to wood smoke, 59 patients exposed only to tobacco smoke and 77 patients exposed to both. Results: The groups did not differ significantly in terms of age (p = 0.225) or degree of exposure, considering each type of exposure in isolation or in combination (p = 0.164 and p = 0.220, respectively). Females predominated in the group exposed to wood smoke. There were no differences among the groups regarding respiratory symptoms (p > 0.05), and moderate dyspnea predominated in the three groups (p = 0.141). The group exposed to wood smoke presented higher percentages of forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity ratio and of forced expiratory volume in one second (p < 0.05). Positive results on bronchodilator testing occurred more frequently in the group exposed to tobacco smoke. The percentage of severe and extremely severe obstruction was significantly higher in the group exposed to tobacco smoke (44.1%) than in that exposed to wood smoke (11.8%; p = 0.006). Conclusions: Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function alterations consistent with COPD were observed in the groups of patients exposed to wood smoke. However, those alterations were not as significant as the alterations observed in the groups exposed to tobacco smoke. This study emphasizes the importance of prospective studies in evaluating the risk of wood-smoke-related COPD in Brazil, as well as the need for preventive measures in this area.

Keywords: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Smoking; Air pollution, indoor; Smoke.

Bronchial atresia is a rare, congenital anomaly characterized by the presence of bronchocele with distal hyperinflation. The authors report two cases of segmental bronchial atresia and describe the clinical and roentgenographic findings supporting the diagnosis in the absence of other invasive diagnostic modalities or surgical exploration.

Keywords: pulmonary atresia; bronchi; X-ray computed tomography

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the signs of active tuberculosis in patients submitted to high resolution computerized tomography and the distribution of lesions along the pulmonary parenchyma. Material and methods: The high resolution CTs performed on 42 patients with tuberculosis either bacteriologically diagnosed or clinical suspected and later confirmed by bacteriological tests were studied. Results: The signs of disease activity observed were airspace nodule (83%), centrilobular nodule (74%), tree-in-bud pattern (67%), cavitations (67%), bronchial thickening (55%), parenchymal consolidations (48%), ground glass opacity (21%) and thickening of the inter and intralobular septa (9%). Conclusion: High resolution computed tomography can be strongly suggestive of disease activity, is particularly helpful in patients with negative smear and/or undetermined radiographs, and allows the establishment of proper treatment, even before mycobacteria are identified in means of culture.

Keywords: Pulmonary tuberculosis. X-ray computed tomography.

Introduction: A great emphasis has been placed on health-related quality of life of COPD patients and specific questionnaires have been developed in order to measure it. Interventions directed to improve symptoms and decrease morbi-mortality may be evaluated by such questionnaires. Objective: This study describes the language and cultural adaptation of a new (and short) disease-specific health status questionnaire developed for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases: the Airways Questionnaire 20 (AQ20). This questionnaire has only 20 simple items, and is one of the shortest ones ever described in the literature. Methods: In order to validate this questionnaire in Brazil, an initial translation from English to Portuguese has been made. The cultural adaptation was taken into consideration and then a back translation to English was undertaken, in order to obtain a final Portuguese version. Correlations were made with FEV1, SpO2, BMI and another disease specific health status questionnaire, the Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), previously validated in Brazil. To test the reproducibility of AQ20, the interclass correlation ratio was done. Results: The interclass correlation ratio for the total score was a = 0.90 (intraobserver variability) and a = 0.93 (interobserver variability). The correlation with total SGRQ score was 0.76, with p < 0.001. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the Brazilian Portuguese version of AQ20 is reproducible, with good correlation with SGRQ total score, which makes it a valid questionnaire to measure health status in obstructive patients in Brazil.

Objective: Respiratory infections constitute a major cause of morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplant recipients. The incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis is high among such patients. On imaging, tuberculosis has various presentations. Greater understanding of those presentations could reduce the impact of the disease by facilitating early diagnosis. Therefore, we attempted to describe the HRCT patterns of pulmonary tuberculosis in lung transplant recipients. Methods: From two hospitals in southern Brazil, we collected the following data on lung transplant recipients who developed pulmonary tuberculosis: gender; age; symptoms; the lung disease that led to transplantation; HRCT pattern; distribution of findings; time from transplantation to pulmonary tuberculosis; and mortality rate. The HRCT findings were classified as miliary nodules; cavitation and centrilobular nodules with a tree-in-bud pattern; ground-glass attenuation with consolidation; mediastinal lymph node enlargement; or pleural effusion. Results: We evaluated 402 lung transplant recipients, 19 of whom developed pulmonary tuberculosis after transplantation. Among those 19 patients, the most common HRCT patterns were ground-glass attenuation with consolidation (in 42%); cavitation and centrilobular nodules with a tree-in-bud pattern (in 31.5%); and mediastinal lymph node enlargement (in 15.7%). Among the patients with cavitation and centrilobular nodules with a tree-in-bud pattern, the distribution was within the upper lobes in 66.6%. No pleural effusion was observed. Despite treatment, one-year mortality was 47.3%. Conclusions: The predominant HRCT pattern was ground-glass attenuation with consolidation, followed by cavitation and centrilobular nodules with a tree-in-bud pattern. These findings are similar to those reported for immunocompetent patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and considerably different from those reported for AIDS patients with the same disease.

Keywords: Lung transplantation; Diagnostic imaging; Mycobacterium infections; Thoracic diseases; Tomography, X-Ray computed/methods; Tuberculosis, pulmonary.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) combination on the small airways in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder that primarily affects the respiratory system, leading to progressive lung disease. In CF, the small airways play a critical role, contributing to chronic symptoms such as cough, sputum production, and dyspnea. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective observational study of adults with CF treated with ELX/TEZ/IVA for 12 months. We compared the patients who were homozygous for the F508del mutation of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene with those who were heterozygous for that mutation, in terms of lung function outcomes (FEV1, FEF25-75%, and the RV/TLC ratio) and the extent of non-homogeneous ground-glass opacity. Among the patients within the cohort, the same parameters were evaluated separately in those who had advanced lung disease and in those who had previously undergone CFTR modulator therapy. Results: There was a significant post-treatment improvement in lung function, with a median increase of 0.42 L/s in the FEF25-75% (p < 0.001) and a 5% reduction in the mean RV/TLC ratio (p < 0.001). There was a trend toward a higher improvement the F508del homozygous patients. A significant reduction in non-homogeneous ground-glass opacity was observed in 79.5% of the patients. Among the patients with advanced lung disease, there were notable post-treatment improvements in all of the parameters assessed. Conclusions: Our results highlight the positive impact that ELX/TEZ/IVA treatment can have on small airway function in patients with CF, with potential benefits even for those with advanced lung disease. Further research is needed in order to evaluate the long-term effects of this treatment and its relationship with patient-reported outcomes.

Keywords: Cystic fibrosis/diagnostic imaging; Lung/physiopathology; Respiratory function tests; Lung/drug effects; Lung/diagnostic imaging; Cystic fibrosis/drug therapy.

Objective: Assess the relationship between adherence to long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) with mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic respiratory failure and their clinical features. Methods: Longitudinal retrospective analysis of 254 patients with COPD and chronic respiratory failure from 2008 to 2016. At baseline, we evaluated the diagnosis, spirometry values, arterial blood gas analysis, blood count, pulse oximetry, body composition and health questionnaires (dyspnea, quality of life, anxiety and depression). For referred adherence analysis to LTOT we included 199 patients, divided according to prescription of oxygen: 12h/day (G1), 15h/day (G2) and 24h/day (G3). The cause of death and dates were studied over the five-year period. Results: In five years we identified 124 deaths (62.3%). No significant difference was found in mortality between the adherence groups (p=0.75) nor did we find differences in the clinical parameters evaluated. LTOT prescription was not associated with mortality (p=0.07). In Cox regression analysis, there was no association between mortality and non-adherence to LTOT (HR: 0.75; IC95%: 0.21-2.70). The risk of mortality was increased in G3 compared with G1 (HR: 7.16; IC 95%: 1.44-35.38) and in those with a higher depression score (HR: 1.35; IC: 1.14-1.59). Conclusion: No association was found between LTOT adherence and mortality in patients with COPD and respiratory failure. There were no clinical differences between the adherence groups.

Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Oxygen therapy; Cooperation and treatment adherence; Morbidity and mortality indicators.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of atopy and to evaluate clinical, laboratory, and radiological profiles in patients with COPD. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving outpatients with stable COPD (defined by the clinical history and a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC < 70% of the predicted value). The patients completed a questionnaire regarding clinical characteristics and atopy, after which they underwent nasal lavage cytology, skin prick testing, chest X-rays, arterial blood gas analyses, and determination of total serum IgE. Results: Of the 149 subjects studied, 53 (35.6%), 49 (32.8%), and 88 (59.1%) presented with nasal eosinophilia, a positive skin prick test result, and symptoms of allergic rhinitis, respectively. Correspondence analysis confirmed these findings, showing two distinct patterns of disease expression: atopy in patients with COPD that was less severe; and no evidence of atopy in those with COPD that was more severe (reduced FEV1 and hyperinflation). There was a statistically significant association between nasal eosinophilia and a positive bronchodilator response. Conclusions: Using simple and reproducible methods, we were able to show that there is a high frequency of atopy in patients with COPD. Monitoring inflammation in the upper airways can be a useful tool for evaluating respiratory diseases in the elderly and in those with concomitant asthma and COPD, a clinical entity not yet fully understood.

Keywords: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Allergy and immunology; Nasal lavage fluid; Asthma; Rhinitis, allergic, perennial.

Objective: Preoperative functional evaluation is central to optimizing the identification of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are candidates for surgery. The minute ventilation/carbon dioxide output (VE/VCO2) slope has proven to be a predictor of surgical complications and mortality. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs (PRPs) could influence short-term outcomes in patients with COPD undergoing lung resection. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of a PRP on the VE/VCO2 slope in a cohort of patients with COPD undergoing lung resection for NSCLC. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 25 consecutive patients with COPD participating in a three-week high-intensity PRP prior to undergoing lung surgery for NSCLC, between December of 2015 and January of 2017. Patients underwent complete functional assessment, including spirometry, DLCO measurement, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Results: There were no significant differences between the mean pre- and post-PRP values (% of predicted) for FEV1 (61.5 ± 22.0% vs. 62.0 ± 21.1%) and DLCO (67.2 ± 18.1% vs. 67.5 ± 13.2%). Conversely, there were significant improvements in the mean peak oxygen uptake (from 14.7 ± 2.5 to 18.2 ± 2.7 mL/kg per min; p < 0.001) and VE/VCO2 slope (from 32.0 ± 2.8 to 30.1 ± 4.0; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Our results indicate that a high-intensity PRP can improve ventilatory efficiency in patients with COPD undergoing lung resection for NSCLC. Further comprehensive prospective studies are required to corroborate these preliminary results.

Keywords: Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung; Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive/rehabilitation; Carbon dioxide/metabolism; Oxygen consumption/physiology; Risk assessment.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of alternative diagnoses based on chest CT angiography (CTA) in patients with suspected pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) who tested negative for PTE, as well as whether those alternative diagnoses had been considered prior to the CTA. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, retrospective study involving 191 adult patients undergoing CTA for suspected PTE between September of 2009 and May of 2012. Chest X-rays and CTAs were reviewed to determine whether the findings suggested an alternative diagnosis in the cases not diagnosed as PTE. Data on symptoms, risk factors, comorbidities, length of hospital stay, and mortality were collected. Results: On the basis of the CTA findings, PTE was diagnosed in 47 cases (24.6%). Among the 144 patients not diagnosed with PTE via CTA, the findings were abnormal in 120 (83.3%). Such findings were consistent with an alternative diagnosis that explained the symptoms in 75 patients (39.3%). Among those 75 cases, there were only 39 (20.4%) in which the same alterations had not been previously detected on chest X-rays. The most common alternative diagnosis, made solely on the basis of the CTA findings, was pneumonia (identified in 20 cases). Symptoms, risk factors, comorbidities, and the in-hospital mortality rate did not differ significantly between the patients with and without PTE. However, the median hospital stay was significantly longer in the patients with PTE than in those without (18.0 and 9.5 days, respectively; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Our results indicate that chest CTA is useful in cases of suspected PTE, because it can confirm the diagnosis and reveal findings consistent with an alternative diagnosis in a significant number of patients.

Keywords: Pulmonary embolism/diagnosis; Pulmonary embolism/epidemiology; Angiography.

Objective: To study the clinical, radiological, and histopathological patterns of transbronchial biopsy (TBB) used in order to confirm the diagnosis in patients with clinical suspicion of interstitial lung disease (ILD) treated at a tertiary-care university hospital. Methods: We reviewed the medical records, radiology reports, and reports of transbronchial biopsies from all patients with suspected ILD who underwent TBB between January of 1999 and December of 2006 at the Hospital das Clínicas de Botucatu, located in the city of Botucatu, Brazil. Results: The study included 56 patients. Of those, 11 (19.6%) had a definitive diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the rate of which was significantly higher in the patients in which ILD was a possible diagnosis in comparison with those in which ILD was the prime suspect (p = 0.011), demonstrating the contribution of TBB to the diagnostic confirmation of these diseases. The histopathological examination of the biopsies revealed that 27.3% of the patients with IPF showed a pattern of organizing pneumonia, which suggests greater disease severity. The most common histological pattern was the indeterminate pattern, reflecting the peripheral characteristic of IPF. However, the fibrosis pattern showed high specificity and high negative predictive value. For CT scan patterns suggestive of IPF, the ROC curve showed that the best relationship between sensitivity and specificity occurred when five radiological alterations were present. Honeycombing was found to be strongly suggestive of IPF (p = 0.01). Conclusions: For ILDs, chest CT should always be performed, and TBB should be used in specific situations, according to the suspicion and distribution of lesions.

Keywords: Lung diseases, interstitial; Diagnosis, differential; Bronchoscopy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the completeness of tuberculosis reporting forms in the greater metropolitan areas of five Brazilian capitals where the incidence of tuberculosis was high in 2010-Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Cuiabß, Porto Alegre, and BelÚm-using tabulations obtained from the Sistema Nacional de InformaþÒo de Agravos de NotificaþÒo (National Case Registry Database). The degree of completeness was highest in Porto Alegre and Cuiabß, whereas it was lowest in Rio de Janeiro, where there are more reported cases of tuberculosis than in any other Brazilian capital. A low degree of completeness of these forms can affect the quality of the Brazilian National Tuberculosis Control Program, which will have negative consequences for health care and decision-making processes.

Keywords: Tuberculosis; Public health surveillance; Disease notification.

Objective: To present epidemiological data on patients diagnosed with tuberculosis, as well as on associated factors, and to determine the efficacy of the National Tuberculosis Control Program in Bagé, Brazil. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out at the Pablo Barcellos Center, analyzing cases of tuberculosis reported from January 2001 to December 2004. Data were collected through the review of clinical charts and from the National Case Registry database. Results: During this period, of the 4468 sputum smear microscopies performed, 131 were positive, with higher prevalence among males aged 26 to 35 years old. Prevalence was lower among those aged 65 and above. Over 50% of the patients were Caucasian, had only 1 to 3 years of schooling and worked in low-income jobs (mean salary, 265 Brazilian reals/month). There was no significant difference between smokers and former smokers/nonsmokers, and only one of the 131 cases was HIV positive. Conclusion: The number of sputum smear microscopies performed in Bagé increased in the past four years. In 2003 and 2004, it exceeded the goal of the National Tuberculosis Control Program. However, the number of new cases decreased, demonstrating the efficacy of the active search for tuberculosis cases in the city.

Keywords: Tuberculosis; Epidemiology; Communicable disease control.

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a common cause of chest affections and symptoms, such as chronic cough, asthma, respiratory infections, pulmonary fibrosis and chest pain. Relief after medical or surgical antireflux therapy is variable. Twenty-four hour pH monitoring has been considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The use of 2 or more pH sensors in different locations within the esophagus is a reliable method for the diagnosis of more severe GER and enables aspiration of the airways and lungs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the height at which reflux is detected within the esophagus is an indicator of surgical, as opposed to medical, antireflux therapy. In a series of 35 patients with cough as a sole presentation of GER the levels of reflux within the esophagus were correlated to the outcome after medical or surgical antireflux therapy. The studies and surgical procedures were performed in the affiliated hospitals of the Federal and Catholic Universities of Pelotas - RS. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney-U test were used to perform statistical analysis. The present study showed that gastroesophageal reflux into either the distal or the proximal esophagus can cause chronic cough. The height of reflux is an important predictor of response to antireflux therapy. Patients with proximal reflux treated medically do poorly. Surgical therapy is consistently associated with a good outcome, regardless of the height to which reflux occurs, particularly in patients with proximal reflux. Overall, surgical therapy provides the best outcome in all patients with chronic cough due to gastroesophageal reflux.

Keywords: Chronic cough. Gastroesophageal reflux disease. Esophageal pH monitoring.

Introduction: The term quality of life has gained increasing importance in the scientific context. This study describes the adaptation of a disease-specific questionnaire developed by Paul Jones et al. in 1991, the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), to the Brazilian language and culture. This questionnaire evaluates the quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and contains three domains (symptoms, activity, and impacts) divided in 76 items. The questionnaire is self-administrated, but it may be read to illiterate persons. Goal: To verify if the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire is a valid tool to measure quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Brazil. Methods: In order to validate the questionnaire in Brazil, it was initially translated into Portuguese and afterwards a back-translation into English, that was compared to the original version. A final Portuguese version was then written. This final version was, then, answered by 30 clinically stable COPD patients, according to the spirometry and oximetry values. Patients answered the questionnaire twice, within a 15 day interval. The length of time the patients took to answer the questionnaire and their doubts were noted. Wilcoxon test was used for the calculation of r probability between every single question between the two days; interclass correlation ratio was calculated to test the trustworthiness and reliability of the questionnaire. Results: Among the 30 participant patients, 10 were female and 20 were male. Mean age was 65.9 years. Most of the patients were found to be in stage 2 (56.7 %) of COPD, according to the American Thoracic Society classification. The interclass correlation ratio for the total score of the questionnaire was a = 0.79 and Wilcoxon p = 0.2110 (not statistically significant). The mean answering time for the two days of interview was, respectively, 11 minutes and 50 seconds and 10 minutes and 31 seconds. As concerns the doubts about the questions, the patients reported difficulties in answering Sections 4 and 5, each one of these questions written in a negative form. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the Brazilian version of the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to measure quality of life in patients with COPD in Brazil.

Keywords: obstructive lung diseases, questionnaire, quality of life, reproducibility of results, evolution studies

Objective: To verify association between left ventricular (LV) mass and thickness and the presence of significant nocturnal hypoxemia in patients with COPD with mild diurnal hypoxemia. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out in clinically stable outpatients with COPD and mild hypoxemia (oxygen saturation ≥90 to ≤94%, identified by noninvasive oximetry) in a clinic specialized in the treatment of respiratory diseases in Goiânia-GO. All patients were submitted to clinical evaluation, spirometry, polysomnography, echocardiography, arterial blood gas analysis, 6-minute walk test and chest X-ray. Results: Patients with significant nocturnal hypoxemia had echocardiographic parameters associated with increase of LV musculature when compared to patients with mild nocturnal hypoxemia. The LV volume/mass ratio was significantly lower in the group with significant nocturnal hypoxemia (ratio 0.64 ± 0.13 versus 0.72 ± 0.12, p = 0.04), the thickness diastolic diameter of the interventricular septum and the diastolic thickness of the LV posterior wall were significantly higher in this group (9.7 ± 0.92 versus 9.1 ± 0.90 p = 0.03), (9.7 ± 1.0 versus 8.9 ± 1.0, p = 0.01. The time in REM sleep with saturation below 85% significantly predicted septum thickness (adjustment for BMI, age and mean blood pressure, r2 = 0.20; p = 0.046). Conclusion: We observed association between severe REM sleep hypoxemia and echocardiographic parameters indicating increased LV mass in individuals with COPD and significant nocturnal hypoxemia. This suggests that this subgroup of individuals may benefit from an echocardiographic evaluation of the left ventricle.

Keywords: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Left ventricular hypertrophy; Echocardiography.