A pneumonia por Pneumocystis carinii (PPC), que é a infecção oportunista que mais comumente põe em risco a vida de pacientes com síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (SIDA), tem sido há bastante tempo associada a outros estados de imunodeficiência. Os relatos iniciais sugeriram que a apresentação clínica da PPC em SIDA difere de sua apresentação em outras situações, embora ambas tenham sofrido modificações nos últimos anos. O objetivo do presente estudo é comparar os achados clínicos e laboratoriais da PPC em SIDA com os de pacientes portadores de PPC sem SIDA. Foram revisados os prontuários médicos de todos os pacientes em nossa instituição que tiveram o diagnóstico confirmado de PPC e SIDA durante o ano de 1994 (17 pacientes) e sem SIDA no período de 1992-1994 (dez pacientes). Quando da apresentação, os pacientes sem SIDA tinham uma duração de sintomas significativamente menor (8,4 ± 7,7 vs 19,5 ± 10,2 dias, p < 0,05), menor PaO2 média a ar ambiente (47 ± 8,2 vs 63 ± 10mmHg, p < 0,05), e mais freqüente infiltrado unilateral no radiograma do tórax (60 vs 6%, p < 0,05). O índice de mortalidade da PPC foi marcadamente maior nos pacientes sem SIDA (40 vs 6%, p < 0,05), e este fato estava associado com retarde no início do tratamento específico nestes pacientes. Devido a seu curso mais agudo, apresentação radiológica atípica e alto índice de mortalidade, concluímos que o diagnóstico de PPC deve ser afastado em pacientes que recebem terapia imunossupressora e que profilaxia anti-PPC deve ser fortemente considerada em pacientes que serão imunossuprimidos.

Keywords: PPC-AIDS. PPC não-AIDS.

Objective: To explore the predictive roles of D-dimer for the mortality of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library from their inception to July 26, 2020. Studies exploring the relationship between blood D-dimer levels and CAP-related mortality were selected. In this meta-analysis, we calculated mortality rates, sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratios, and negative likelihood ratios. Results: The search identified 1,073 articles, 8 of which (a total of 2,126 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled mortality rate of the overall sample was 0.10 (95% CI, 0.08-0.14). The levels of blood D-dimer in the nonsurvivors were significantly higher than those in the survivors (weighted mean difference = 1.03 mg/L [95% CI, 0.81-1.26]; p < 0.00001). The area under the summary ROC curve for the optimal cutoff value of D-dimer as a predictor of mortality was 0.848 (SE = 0.046), and the pooled negative likelihood ratio for D-dimer within the normal range was 0.24 (95% CI, 0.11-0.53). Conclusions: Blood D-dimer might be helpful for the initial assessment of mortality risk of patients with CAP. D-dimer levels within the normal range indicate low risk of mortality. Because of the small sample size in our study, our findings should be further explored and validated in future studies with larger sample sizes.

Keywords: Fibrin fibrinogen degradation products; Community-acquired infections/mortality; Pneumonia/mortality; Meta-analysis.

Objective: VEGF-D is a potential biomarker for lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM); however, its diagnostic performance has yet to be systematically studied. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library to identify primary studies on VEGF-D in relation to the diagnosis of LAM. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2). Summary estimates of diagnostic accuracy were pooled using a bivariate random effects model. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore possible heterogeneity. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was applied to rate the quality of evidence and indicate the strength of recommendations. Results: Ten studies involving 945 patients were of high risk in quality, as assessed using the QUADAS-2. The pooled diagnostic parameters were indicated as follows: sensitivity = 0.82 (95% CI, 0.71-0.90); specificity = 0.98 (95% CI, 0.94-0.99); and diagnostic OR = 197 (95% CI, 66-587). The AUC of summary ROC analysis was 0.98. The subgroup and sensitivity analyses revealed that the overall performance was not substantially affected by the composition of the control group, prespecified cutoff value, the country of origin, or different cutoff values (p > 0.05 for all). A strong recommendation for serum VEGF-D determination to aid in the diagnosis of LAM was made according to the GRADE. Conclusions: VEGF-D seems to have great potential implications for the diagnosis of LAM in clinical practice due to its excellent specificity and suboptimal sensitivity.

Keywords: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis/diagnosis; Vascular endothelial growth factor D; Biomarkers; Meta-analysis.

Objetivo: Realizar a tradução para a língua portuguesa e a adaptação cultural para uso no Brasil do Quality of Communication Questionnaire (QOC) para pacientes com DPOC em cuidados paliativos. Métodos: Após a aprovação do autor do questionário e do comitê de ética da instituição, a versão original do QOC com 13 itens foi traduzida, de forma independente, por dois tradutores brasileiros com fluência na língua inglesa. Uma síntese das duas traduções foi realizada por uma médica bilíngue e os dois tradutores, que chegaram a um consenso, gerando uma versão na língua portuguesa. Essa versão foi retraduzida por dois tradutores nativos de países de língua inglesa com fluência na língua portuguesa. Para resolver quaisquer discrepâncias, um comitê de especialistas comparou a versão original com todas as versões produzidas e, assim, obteve-se a versão pré-final do QOC. O pré-teste foi aplicado em 32 pacientes internados em UTIs de três hospitais públicos da grande Florianópolis (SC) para avaliar a clareza e a aceitabilidade cultural da versão pré-final do QOC. Resultados: A média de idade dos pacientes foi de 48,5 ± 18,8 anos. A maioria dos itens foi bem compreendida e aceita, recebendo pontuações ≥ 8. Um item, sobre morte, suscitou dificuldades na compreensão dos participantes do pré-teste. Ao submeter a retradução ao autor do QOC, ele solicitou alterações em dois itens, que foram acatadas. Após essas alterações, a versão final foi aprovada. Conclusões: A tradução e a adaptação cultural do QOC para uso no Brasil foi concluída com sucesso.

Keywords: Doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica; Inquéritos e questionários; Comunicação; Unidades de terapia intensiva.

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationship that levels of vitamin D had with eosinophil counts and IgE levels in 26 children with asthma (6-12 years of age) in the city of Londrina, Brazil. Vitamin D levels were found to correlate significantly, albeit moderately, with age (r = −0.51) and eosinophilia (r = −0.49), although not with IgE levels (r = −0.12). When we stratified the sample into two groups by the median vitamin D level (< or ≥ 24 ng/mL), we found that those in the < 24 ng/mL group were older, had higher eosinophil counts, and had higher IgE levels. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show an association between low levels of vitamin D and more pronounced eosinophilia in children with asthma in Brazil.

Keywords: Vitamin D; Asthma; Eosinophils; Eosinophilia; Child.

Objective: To evaluate the association between asthma prevalence and serum levels of vitamin D in Brazilian adolescents. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, school-based study involving adolescents between 12-17 years of age from four large Brazilian cities located at different latitudes (Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Porto Alegre). Information on asthma diagnosis, lifestyle, and sociodemographic characteristics was collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. Serum concentrations of calcifediol were dichotomized as sufficient (= 20 ng/mL) or insufficient/deficient (< 20 ng/mL) levels. Bivariate analyses were carried out between vitamin D levels and prevalence of active asthma (AA), as well as other variables in study, using the chi-square test. Generalized linear models were configured to analyze potential confounding factors (p < 0.20). Results: Between 2013 and 2014, 1,053 adolescents were evaluated. The prevalences of AA and insufficient/deficient levels of calcifediol were 15.4% and 21%, respectively. There were no statistically significant associations between AA and hypovitaminosis D. The prevalences of AA and vitamin D insufficiency were, respectively, 2.34 (95% CI, 1,28-4.30) and 3.22 (95% CI, 1.75-5.95) times higher in Porto Alegre than in Rio de Janeiro, regardless of possible confounding factors. However, no significant associations were found between the prevalence of AA and vitamin-D-related variables in any of the cities. Conclusions: No association was found between AA and low levels of vitamin D in adolescents living at different latitudes in Brazil.

Keywords: Adolescent; Asthma/epidemiology; Vitamin D.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in children 0-18 years of age with recurrent wheezing and/or asthma residing in the microregion of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and treated at a referral center, and to determine its association with major risk factors for wheezing. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a semi-structured questionnaire, which was administered by trained interviewers to the legal guardians of the study participants. Data were obtained regarding general characteristics of recurrent wheezing; general sociodemographic, environmental, and biologic factors; and atopy-related factors. The magnitude of the statistical association was assessed by calculating ORs and their corresponding 95% CIs by using multiple logistic regression. Results: We included 124 children in the study. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in the sample was 57.3%. Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency was found to be associated with wheezing in the first year of life, personal history of atopic dermatitis, environmental pollution, and vitamin D supplementation until 2 years of age. Conclusions: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency was high in our sample. Vitamin D concentrations were directly associated with vitamin D supplementation until 2 years of age and were inversely associated with wheezing events in the first year of life, personal history of atopic dermatitis, and environmental pollution.

Keywords: Vitamin D; Asthma; Respiratory sounds; Minors.

Leptospirosis is an infectious disease characterized by multisystemic involvement. The lung involvement is common, usually mild and frequently neglected. When respiratory manifestations are prominent in a patient with leptospirosis, there is the potential for diagnostic confusion. The authors report a severe case of leptospiral pneumonia, with the objective of highlighting this etiological possibility of community pneumonia, especially when there is suspicion of epidemic features.

Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia is a rare disease of unknown cause characterized by eosinophilic alveolar and interstitial infiltration. The authors describe the case of a 49-year-old caucasian woman, presenting dyspnea on minimum effort, with insidious beginning and progressive course in the last six months. The main findings were serum eosinophilia and in the sputum, chest radiographs showing multifocal infiltrations of irregular distribution in both lungs and a restrictive functional impairment. The patient was submitted to an open lung biopsy, which demonstrated a chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. There was a dramatic clinical, radiological, and functional response after corticosteroid therapy.

Objective: Staphylococcal pneumonia typically presents high rates of morbidity and mortality. It typically occurs in cases of influenza (airborne transmission) or during episodes of bacteremia (blood-borne transmission). Methods: A retrospective and descriptive study was conducted in patients admitted to our hospital between January of 1992 and December of 2003. All of he patients included had been diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus. All were older than 14 years of age, and none were intravenous drug users. Results: Community-acquired pneumonia was identified in 332 cases, of which 24 (7.3%) were identified as cases of staphylococcal pneumonia. Age ranged from 14 to 89 years. Fifteen patients were male, and nine were female. Twelve patients met the criteria for severe pneumonia. Chest X-rays showed unilateral consolidation in 14 cases, bilateral consolidation in 10, pleural effusion in 15, rapid radiological progression of pulmonary lesions in 14, cavitation in 6 and pneumothorax in 1. Most of the patients presented comorbidities, of which diabetes mellitus was the most common. Twelve patients presented complications such as empyema and septic shock. Four patients died, translating to a mortality rate of 16.6% in our sample. Conclusions: The clinical presentation of pneumonia caused by S. aureus is similar to that of pneumonia caused by other etiological agents. Radiological findings, epidemiological data and risk factors provide important clues to the diagnosis. These factors are important for clinical suspicion, since S. aureus is not typically addressed in empirical treatment.

Keywords: Staphylococcal pneumonia; Staphylococcal infections; Community-acquired infections.

Objective: To describe the characteristics of patients with influenza A (H1N1)-associated pneumonia treated at two hospitals in the region of Liguria, Italy, as well as to describe their treatment and outcomes. Methods: This was a prospective observational study including all patients older than 16 years of age with a confirmed diagnosis of influenza A (H1N1) who were admitted to Villa Scassi Hospital, in the city of Genoa, Italy, or to the Sestri Levante General Hospital, in the city of Sestri Levante, Italy, between September of 2009 and January of 2010. The primary outcome measure was mortality within 60 days after diagnosis. Secondary outcome measures were the need for mechanical ventilation and the length of hospital stay. Results: Of the 40 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of influenza A (H1N1), 27 presented pneumonia during the study period. The mean age of the 27 patients was 42.8 ± 14.8 years, and the mean length of hospital stay was 11.6 ± 8.2 days. Of the 27 patients, 20 had respiratory failure, 4 underwent invasive mechanical ventilation, and 5 underwent noninvasive ventilation. One patient had comorbidities, developed multiple organ failure, and died. Conclusions: During the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, the associated mortality rate was lower in Italy than in other countries, and cases reported in the country typically had a milder course than did those reported elsewhere. Nevertheless, 9 of our cases (33%) rapidly evolved to respiratory failure, requiring mechanical ventilation.

Keywords: Pneumonia; Influenza A virus, H1N1 subtype; Respiratory insufficiency.

48 years-old woman, asymptomatic, presented with radiographic findings of patchy airspace consolidation with nodular opacities in the upper right lobe, middle lobe and lingula. The differential diagnoses of neoplasms, sarcoidosis, granulomatous diseases and tuberculosis were considered. Diagnosis of Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia was made by means of videothoracoscopy whereupon treatment with corticosteroids was begun. The patient had a positive evolution with resolution of the radiographic finding.

Keywords: bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, bronchiolitis obliterans

Pneumocystosis is an opportunistic infection that occurs frequently in immunodeficient patients, mainly in those with the acquired immunological deficiency (AIDS). The authors report the case of a patient with insidious symptoms of fever, cough, and weight loss. Thorax radiography revealed a tumoral image in the right costophrenic angle. Treatment for tuberculosis (therapeutic test) presented no response. An open lung biopsy was performed and the histological examination revealed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. The patient presented significant clinical and radiological improvement with specific treatment.

Keywords: pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; AIDS-related opportunistic infections

Objective: To determine the frequency of HRCT findings and their distribution in the lung parenchyma of patients with organizing pneumonia. Methods: This was a retrospective review of the HRCT scans of 36 adult patients (26 females and 10 males) with biopsy-proven organizing pneumonia. The patients were between 19 and 82 years of age (mean age, 56.2 years). The HRCT images were evaluated by two independent observers, discordant interpretations being resolved by consensus. Results: The most common HRCT finding was that of ground-glass opacities, which were seen in 88.9% of the cases. The second most common finding was consolidation (in 83.3% of cases), followed by peribronchovascular opacities (in 52.8%), reticulation (in 38.9%), bronchiectasis (in 33.3%), interstitial nodules (in 27.8%), interlobular septal thickening (in 27.8%), perilobular pattern (in 22.2%), the reversed halo sign (in 16.7%), airspace nodules (in 11.1%), and the halo sign (in 8.3%). The lesions were predominantly bilateral, the middle and lower lung fields being the areas most commonly affected. Conclusions: Ground-glass opacities and consolidation were the most common findings, with a predominantly random distribution, although they were more common in the middle and lower thirds of the lungs.

Keywords: Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia; Respiratory tract diseases; Tomography, X-ray computed.

Most interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are indolent in nature, producing subacute or chronic symptoms that progress at various rates and are usually present for months to years before a diagnosis is established. This report describes a case of a fulminating and life-threatening variant of idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP). Early suspicion, histologic diagnosis, and prompt initiation of corticosteroid therapy is important to prevent mortality.

Keywords: Bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP). Interstitial lung disease.

The authors report the case of an adolescent with bilateral interstitial bronchopneumonia caused by measles. They discuss this rare presentation and the usefulness of thorax CT scan for the diagnosis of this disease.

Keywords: Measles. Pneumonia. CT scan.

Organized pneumonia secondary to amiodarone use is rare. Only eight cases have been reported in the literature. It is reported on the case of a 75-year-old female who, after a cumulative dose of 43 g of amiodarone, presented coughing, progressive dyspnea and bilateral infiltrates seen at thoracic radiographs. Transbronchial biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. As the drug was discontinued, there was functional and clinical improvement.

Keywords: Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia. Amiodarone. Drug therapy. Drug toxicity.