Other lung diseases

1.Sarcoidosis

1. Sarcoidosis

a. More common in African-Americans.

b. Associated with the presence of noncaseating granulomas.

Sarcoidosis is an immune system disorder characterised by non-necrotising granulomas (small inflammatory nodules). Virtually any organ can be affected, however, granulomas most often appear in the lungs or the lymph nodes.

Signs and symptoms

• Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease that can affect any organ. Common symptoms are vague, such as fatigue unchanged by sleep, lack of energy, aches and pains, dry eyes, blurry vision, shortness of breath, a dry hacking cough or skin lesions. The cutaneous symptoms are protean, and range from rashes and noduli (small bumps) to erythema nodosum or lupus pernio
• Renal, liver, heart or brain involvement may cause further symptoms and altered functioning. Manifestations in the eye include uveitis and retinal inflammation
• Sarcoidosis affecting the brain or nerves is known as neurosarcoidosis.
• Hypercalcemia (high calcium levels) and its symptoms may be the result of excessive vitamin D production
• Sarcoidosis most often manifests as a restrictive disease of the lungs, causing a decrease in lung volume and decreased compliance (the ability to stretch). The vital capacity (full breath in, to full breath out) is decreased, and most of this air can be blown out in the first second. This means the FEV1/FVC ratio is increased from the normal of about 80%, to 90%.

Treatment

Corticosteroids, most commonly prednisone

2. Cystic fibrosis

a. Transmission: caused by a genetic mutation (nucleotide deletion) on chromosome 7, resulting in abnormal chloride channels.

b. The most common hereditary disease in Caucasians.

c. Genetic transmission: autosomal recessive.

d. Affects all exocrine glands. Organs affected include lungs, pancreas, salivary glands, and intestines. Thick secretions or mucous plugs are

seen to obstruct the pulmonary airways and intestinal tracts.

e. Is ultimately fatal.

f. Diagnostic test: sweat test—sweat contains increased amounts of chloride.

3. Atelectasis

a. Characterized by collapse of the alveoli.

b. May be caused by a deficiency of surfactant and/or hypoventilation of alveoli.

Infections caused by N. meningiditis

1.  Bacteremia without sepsis.  Organism spreads to blood but no major reaction.

2.  Meningococcemia without meningitis.  Fever, headache, petechia, hypotension, disseminated       intravascular coagulation.  The Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome is a rapid, progressive meningococcemia with shock, organ failure, adrenal necrosis, and death.

3.  Meningitis with meningococcemia.  Sudden onset fever, chills, headache, confusion, nuchal rigidity.  This occurs rapidly.

4.  Meningoencephalitis.  Patients are deeply comatose.

Diagnosis made by examining CSF.

Posterior Pituitary Syndromes 

The posterior pituitary, or neurohypophysis, is composed of modified glial cells (termed pituicytes) and axonal processes extending from nerve cell bodies in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamic neurons produce two peptides: antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and oxytocin that are stored in axon terminals in the neurohypophysis.

The clinically important posterior pituitary syndromes involve ADH production and include  
1. Diabetes insipidus and 
2. Inappropriate secretion of high levels of ADH.  

- ADH is released into the general circulation in response to increased plasma oncotic pressure & left atrial distention. 
- It acts on the renal collecting tubules to increase the resorption of free water. 
- ADH deficiency causes  diabetes insipidus, a condition characterized by polyuria. If the cause is related to ADH Diabetes insipidus from - - ADH deficiency is designated as central, to differentiate it from nephrogenic diabetes insipidus due to renal tubular unresponsiveness to circulating ADH. 
- The clinical manifestations of both diseases are similar and include the excretion of large volumes of dilute urine with low specific gravity. Serum sodium and osmolality are increased as a result of excessive renal loss of free water, resulting in thirst and polydipsia. 

- ADH excess causes resorption of excessive amounts of free water, with resultant hyponatremia. 
- The most common causes of the syndrome include the secretion of ectopic ADH by malignant neoplasms (particularly small-cell carcinomas of the lung), and local injury to the hypothalamus and/or neurohypophysis. 

- The clinical manifestations are dominated by hyponatremia, cerebral edema, and resultant neurologic dysfunction.

Parkinson’s disease
a. Characterized by the degeneration of neurons in the basal ganglia, specifically the substantia nigra and striatum.
b. Histologic findings in affected neurons include Lewy bodies.
c. Clinically, the disease affects involuntary and voluntary movements. Tremors are common. Symptoms include pin-rolling tremors, slowness of movements, muscular rigidity, and shuffling gait.

EMBOLISM 

An embolus is a detached intravascular solid, liquid, or gaseous mass that is carried by the blood to a site distant from its point of origin

99% due to dislodged thrombus

Types: 
1. Thrombo-embolism 
2. Fat embolism 
3. Air embolism 
4. Nitrogen embolism

 Emboli result in partial or complete vascular occlusion. 

 The consequences of thromboembolism include ischemic necrosis (infarction) of downstream tissue

PULMONARY THROMBOEMBOLISM
- 95% originate from deep veins of L.L

Special variants: - Saddle embolus: at bifurcation of Pulmonary artery

Paradoxical embolus: Passage of an embolus from venous to systemic circulation through IAD, IVD

CLINICAL CONSEQUENCE OF PULMONARY THROMBOEMBOLISM :

Most pulmonary emboli (60% to 80%) are clinically silent because they are small 

a. Organization: 60 – 80 % 
b. Sudden death, Right ventricle failure, CV collapse when more than 60 % of pulmonary vessels are obstructed. 
c. Pulmonary hemorrhage: obstruction of medium sized arteries. 
d. Pulmonary Hypertension and right ventricular failure due to multiple emboli over a long time.

Systemic thromboembolism

Emboli traveling within the arterial circulation 
80% due to intracardiac mural thrombi
2/3  Lt. ventricular failure

 The major targets are: 
 
 1. Lower limbs 75% 
 2. Brain 10% 
 3. Intestines 
 4. Kidneys 
 5. Spleen

Fat embolism 

Causes 
1. Skeletal injury (fractures of long bones ) 
2. Adipose tissue Injury

Mechanical obstruction is exacerbated by free fatty acid release from the fat globules, causing local toxic injury to endothelium. - In skeletal injury, fat embolism occurs in 90% of cases, but only 10% or less have clinical findings

 Fat embolism syndrome is characterized by 
 
 A. Pulmonary Insufficiency 
 B. Neurologic symptoms 
 C. Anemia 
 D. Thrombocytopenia 
 E. Death in 10% of the case 
 
 Symptoms appears 1-3 days after injury
 
 Tachypnea, Dyspnea, Tachycardia and Neurological symptoms
 
Air Embolism 

causes: 1. Obstetric procedures 
2. Chest wall injury 
3. Decompression sickness: in Scuba and deep-sea divers ((nitrogen )) 

 More then 100ml of air is required to produce clinical effect. 
 
 Clinical consequence
 1. Painful joints: due to rapid formation of gas bubbles within Sk. Muscles and supporting tissues. 
 2. Focal ischemia in brain and heart 
 3. Lung edema, Hemorrhage, atelectasis, emphysema, which all lead to Respiratory distress. (chokes) 
 4. caisson disease: gas emboli in the bones leads to multiple foci of ischemic necrosis, usually the heads of the femurs, tibias, and humeri
 
 Amniotic fluid embolism 
 - Mortality Rate = 20%-40% 
 - Very rare complication of labor 
 
 - due to infusion of amniotic fluid into maternal circulation via tears in placental membranes and rupture of uterine veins. 
 - sudden severe dyspnea, cyanosis, and hypotensive shock, followed by seizures, DIC and coma 
 
 - Findings: Squamous cells, languo hair, fat, mucin …..etc within the pulmonary microcirculation

Acute tubular necrosis

Characterized by impaired kidney functions due to the destruction of the renal tubule epithelium.

Caused by a variety of conditions that lead to ischemia of the renal tubules, usually resulting from renal tubular injury or problems with vascular flow. It can also be induced by ingesting toxins or drug-related toxicity (e.g., gentamicin). 
The most common cause of acute renal failure.
Is a reversible condition, although it can be fatal.