word count: 281/350 Tables and figures: 5 (2 supplementary tables) Title: Association between tunneled pleural catheter use and infection in patients immunosuppressed from antineoplastic therapy: a multicenter study (128/130 characters with spaces) Short title: Tunneled pleural catheter use in immunosuppression (50/50 characters with spaces)
A common, and often recurrent, complication of advanced neoplastic disease is a malignant pleural effusion (MPE) or paramalignant pleural effusion (PMPE). This complication imparts a significant burden, not only on quality of life and independence, but also on the health care system as well. Current guidelines recommend definitive management to palliate symptoms, including tunneled pleural catheter (TPC) use. 1 We aimed to assess temporal utilization of TPCs for definitive pleural palliation in patients with an MPE/ PMPE in a large, international, multicenter population. We also aimed to identify differences in TPC treatment practices in patients with recent/current antineoplastic therapy vs without.
MethodsWe reviewed patients with a MPE/PMPE treated with a TPC between
Introduction
Asbestos fiber pleural plaque is characterized by lesions composed of fibrous tissue that are located in the parietal pleura. They usually appear in up to 3 to 58% of workers who were exposed to asbestos fiber, and 0.5 to 8% in the general population. The objective of this article is to present a case report of a patient whose chest x-ray showed pleural changes associated with exposure to asbestos fibers.
Case report
A 49-year-old male patient, construction worker with a history of exposure to asbestos fibers, underwent a chest x-ray performed according to International Labor Organization (ILO) standards, which revealed focal pleural changes. Subsequently, the presence of pleural plaques was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest.
Discussion
Chest x-ray with ILO technique is the basic instrument for the identification of diseases related to asbestos fiber exposure. The study should be completed with a CT scan of the chest, whose sensitivity is greater, allowing early detection of pleural abnormalities. It is essential to obtain a detailed occupational history, since it is the most reliable and practical method to measure asbestos fiber exposure.
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