From the present study, we propose that after accurate classification, interventional bronchoscopic management may have an important role in the treatment of benign tracheal stenosis. Bronchoscopic treatment should be considered as first-line therapy for simple stenoses, whereas complex stenoses need a multidisciplinary approach and often require surgical intervention. However, bronchoscopic treatment may be a valid conservative approach in the management of patients with complex tracheal stenosis who are not eligible for operative treatment.

Objectives: To explore the rate of pneumoconiosis in dental technicians (DTP) and to evaluate the risk factors. Material and Methods: Data of 893 dental technicians, who were admitted to our hospital in the period January 2007-May 2012, from 170 dental laboratories were retrospectively examined. Demographic data, respiratory symptoms, smoking status, work duration, working fields, exposure to sandblasting, physical examination findings, chest radiographs, pulmonary function tests and high-resolution computed tomography results were evaluated. Results: Dental technicians' pneumoconiosis rate was 10.1% among 893 cases. The disease was more common among males and in those exposed to sandblasting who had 77-fold higher risk of DTP. The highest profusion subcategory was 3/+ (according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) 2011 standards) and the large opacity rate was 13.3%. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, it was the largest DTP case series (N = 893/90) in the literature in English. Health screenings should be performed regularly for the early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, which is an important occupational disease for dental technicians.

IntroductionBronchial carcinoid tumors are rarely seen neuroendocrine tumors accounting for more than 1 to 5% of all lung tumors and approximately 20 to 30% of all carcinoid tumors.1-3 The majority of these tumors originated from the proximal airways and most of them are symptomatic with obstructing symptoms or hemoptysis due to the tumor's hypervascularity. AbstractBackground Bronchial carcinoid tumors are known as low-grade malignancies. Surgery has been proposed as the best treatment of choice for lung carcinoids. However, less invasive treatment approaches may be considered due to low-grade malignancy potential of such tumors. The aim of this study was to review the results of endobronchial treatments of carcinoid tumors of the lung and to compare with the outcome after surgery.Methods Initial complete tumor eradication with an endobronchial treatment was attempted for 29 patients. Diode laser or argon plasma coagulation was used during these treatments. Cryotherapy or laser treatments were applied consecutively in patients for whom there was good bronchoscopic visualization of the distal and basal tumor margins and no evidence of bronchial wall involvement. Surgery was performed in cases of atypical carcinoid and in cases of nonvisualization of the basal and distal part of the tumor. Results Overall, 29 patients have been included (median age 58 years; range, 23-77 years). Median follow-up has been 49 months (range, 22-94 months). A total of 24 patients (69%) had typical carcinoid tumor, 5 patients (31%) had atypical carcinoid tumor. Initial endobronchial treatment provided complete tumor eradication in 21 of 29 patients (72%). Of the eight other patients (28%), two were atypical carcinoids, and underwent surgical treatment. There was no tumor-related death and no recurrence during the follow-up in both groups. There was no difference for survival or recurrence between the surgical and the endobronchial treatment group of patients (p > 0.05). Conclusion Endobronchial treatment may be considered as safe, effective treatment for typical carcinoid tumors in the central airways. Addition of initial endobronchial treatment had no negative effect on the surgical outcome.

Study Objectives: The cardiovascular complications caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) decrease after continuous positive airway pressure treatment (CPAP). Mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and red cell distribution width (RDW) are newly recognized tools for assessing cardiovascular risk. Methods: From a selection of patients with symptoms of nocturnal snoring and/or excessive daytime sleepiness, 36 males with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) > 30/h and 22 age-matched normal male controls with AHI < 5/h were included. Patients with OSA underwent another night of CPAP titration, and 11 patients were excluded at the 6-month evaluation due to poor compliance with the home CPAP therapy. Complete blood count parameters of compliant patients and the control group were evaluated. S C I E N T I F I C I N V E S T I G A T I O N SO bstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by collapse of the upper airway during sleep, recurring apnea, intermittent hypoxemia, and daytime sleepiness. The severity of OSA is evaluated in terms of the number of apnea/hypopnea episodes per hour of sleep and is expressed as the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). 1Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a numerical measure of the size variability of circulating erythrocytes and is routinely reported as a component of the complete blood count in the differential diagnosis of anemia. Disorders related to ineffective erythropoiesis or increased red blood cell destruction cause greater size heterogeneity and thus a higher RDW. 2,3Several studies have reported increased platelet activation and aggregation in patients with OSA. 4,5 It has been shown that platelet size, as measured by mean platelet volume (MPV), correlates with platelet reactivity, and is regarded as an easy and useful tool for indirect monitoring of platelet activity. As larger platelets have greater thrombotic potential, the RDW, MPV, and platelet distribution width (PDW) have been shown to be related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiac diseases. In OSA patients, RDW, MPV, and PDW are newly recognized indicators of the severity of the condition that are associated with no additional cost compared to a routinely performed complete blood count. 11-14Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the gold standard in patients with severe OSA. MPV is reduced after CPAP therapy in severe OSA patients, indicating that CPAP therapy has cardioprotective effects. 15 To our knowledge, the effect of CPAP therapy on RDW and PDW in OSA patients has not been reported; thus, we decided to investigate this possibility. BRIEF SUMMARYCurrent Knowledge/Study Rationale: Mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and red cell distribution width (RDW) are newly recognized tools for assessing cardiovascular risk. These markers increase in patients with OSA. The effect of CPAP treatment on these parameters was evaluated. Study Impact: Our data suggest that complete blood count parameters such as MPV, PDW, and RDW changed ...

Objectives We aimed to evaluate the characteristics and management outcomes of patients who developed tracheal stenosis after invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) due to COVID-19 in this study. Design, settings and participants The data of 7 patients with tracheal stenosis and 201 patients without tracheal stenosis after IMV due to COVID-19 between March 2020 and October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Interventions Flexible bronchoscopy was performed for the diagnosis of tracheal stenosis and the evaluation of the treatment's effectiveness and rigid bronchoscopy was applied for the dilatation of tracheal stenosis. Measurements and Main Results In the follow-up period, tracheal stenosis was observed in 7 of 208 patients (2 women, 5 men, 3.3%). The patients were divided into two groups as patients with tracheal stenosis (n=7) and patients without tracheal stenosis (n=201). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and comorbidities (p > 0.05). The mean duration of IMV of the patients with tracheal stenosis was longer than patients without tracheal stenosis (27.9 ± 13 vs 11.2 ± 9 days, p < 0.0001, respectively). Three (43%) of the stenoses were web-like and four (57%) of them were complex type stenosis. The mean length of the stenoses was 1.81 ± 0.82 cm. Three of the patients were successfully treated with bronchoscopic dilatation and four of them were treated with tracheal resection. Conclusions Tracheal stenosis developed in 7 (3.3%) of 208 patients with COVID-19 who were treated with IMV. The most important characteristics of patients with tracheal stenosis was prolonged IMV support.

There is no definitive consensus about the factors affecting the choice of interventional bronchoscopy in the management of malignant airway obstruction. The present study defines the choice of the interventional bronchoscopic modality and analyzes the factors influencing survival in patients with malignant central airway obstruction. Totally, over 7 years, 802 interventional rigid bronchoscopic procedures were applied in 547 patients having malignant airway obstruction. There was a significant association between the type of stent and the site of the lesion in the present study. Patients with tracheal involvement and/or involvement of the main bronchi had the worst prognosis. The sites of the lesion and endobronchial treatment modality were independent predictors of survival in the present study. The selection of different types of airway stents can be considered on the base of site of the lesion. Survival can be estimated based on the site of the lesion and endobronchial brochoscopic modality used.

Bronchoscopic methods are associated with a lower cure rate compared to surgery. A multidisciplinary approach was helpful for treatment planning in patients with PITS.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disorder that can lead to significant cardiovascular complications. Several studies have reported increased platelet activation and aggregation in patients with OSAS. In this study we aimed to show a correlation between mean platelet volume (MPV) and severity of OSAS in patients with OSAS without any overt cardiac disease or diabetes. The polysomnography recordings of 556 consecutive patients admitted to the sleep laboratory between January 2012 and July 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. The relationship between polysomnographic parameters and biochemical parameters was assessed. Polysomnographic results of 200 patients (154 males [77%]; mean age, 44.5 ± 11.4 years) were included. No correlation was observed between MPV and the average oxygen saturation index, the minimum desaturation index, or the oxygen desaturation index in the study population as well as in severe OSAS group (AHI > 30). The only correlation was found between MPV and AHI in the severe OSAS group (P = 0.010). MPV was not correlated with OSAS severity in patients without any overt cardiac disease or diabetes. These findings raise doubts about the suggestion that MPV might be a marker for OSAS severity, as recommended in earlier studies. Thus, further prospective data are needed.