Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis is a rare disorder, only 173 cases having been reported worldwide. Fifty two cases from Turkey are reported, 49 of which have previously been described only in Turkish publications. The mean age of the patients was 27 (SD 12) years, 34 were male, and 10 were symptomless. In 40 of the 52 cases diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically. Nineteen cases were diagnosed in siblings. This high rate suggests that pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis is a familial disease, which, though rare, is for unknown reasons most common in Turkey.

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Coexistent trauma with chest injury and an ISS over 25 were defined as poor prognostic factors for patients rescued after a major earthquake.

Cases of intrathoracic extrapulmonary hydatid cysts are very rare. We identified 13 patients with intrathoracic extrapulmonary hydatid cysts in our clinic over 12 years. Four patients had extrapulmonary cysts only; nine patients had both intrapulmonary and extrapulmonary cysts. Cysts were identified in the pleural space, extrapleural region, diaphragm and chest wall. Thoracotomy was used in all patients, and extrapulmonary lesions were removed by cyst extirpation from surrounding tissue or by pericystectomy.In one patient with chest wall involvement, partial rib resections were performed because of rib destruction. In two patients with liver cysts passing through the diaphragm to the thorax, the diaphragm was cut, cysts on the liver roof were removed and then the diaphragm was repaired. There was no mortality, morbidity, or disease recurrence during the post-operative period in any of the 13 patients. We conclude that these rare cases give a new insight into hydatid cyst pathophysiology.

Objective: To review the medical records of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and pyo-pneumothorax (PPT). Subjects and Methods: Medical records of 17 patients (14 male, 3 female, mean age 23.8 years, range 20–52) with PPT and active pulmonary tuberculosis at Gulhane Military Medical Academia Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, were reviewed from January 1998 to December 2002. The patients were treated with chest tube drainage and chemotherapy. Intrapleural fibrinolytic agents or irrigation was not performed. Results: Pleural fluid samples were available in 14 patients and the mean levels of LDH, protein and glucose in the pleural fluid were 1,767 ± 944 U/l, 5.2 ± 1.4 g/dl and 31.7 ± 22.6 mg/dl, respectively. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in the pleural effusion of 3 patients. The duration of chest tube drainage was longer in cases who underwent open drainage (p = 0.014). At the end of the treatment period 10 patients developed pleural thickening, 4 of them underwent decortication and pneumonectomy was also done in 1 patient. The development of pleural thickening was related to the level of pleural fluid glucose (p = 0.04). Conclusion: This study shows that while taking care of patients with pulmonary TB the physician must be aware of the complication of PPT and that adequate chemotherapy and drainage must be duly performed.