ObjectiveTo describe the clinical characteristics of pulmonary nocardiosis associated with bronchiectasis and to evaluate the methods of diagnosis and treatment.MethodsClinical data of two patients with pulmonary nocardiosis and bronchiectasis were analyzed and the literature on the subject were reviewed.ResultsTwo female patients with bronchiectasis were respectively 55 and 62 years old, both of them presented with fever, cough, expectoration, and leukocytosis. Case 1 also complicated with respiratory failure and leukemoid reaction. Chest CT showed bilateral pulmonary multi-patchy consolidations with cavities in case 1 and unilateral pulmonary local consolidation without cavities in case 2. Sputum smears on modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining of both patients showed typical Nocardia hyphe. Sputum culture of case 1 showed Nocardia otitidiscaviarum, which was sensitive to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMZ/TMP), amikacin and moxifloxacin while resistant to ceftriaxone, imipenem and meropenem. Sputum culture of case 2 was negative. Case 1 was treated with SMZ/TMP + moxifloxacin + amikacin for 6 months, and case 2 treated with SMZ/TMP for 3 months. Both patients were clinically cured. Six case reports including 7 patients were searched, including 4 Chinese reports and 2 English reports. Most of them were reported individually. ConclusionsBronchiectasis is a risk factor for pulmonary nocardiosis, and the treatment of nocardiosis should accord with drug susceptibilities and severities of diseases. The prognoses of patients with pulmonary nocardiosis and bronchiectasis are relatively good.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features and relationship of anthracosis and bronchial anthracofibrosis (BAF).MethodsA retrospective study among 591 patients who did bronchoscopy in this hospital from January 2016 to December 2018 was performed. Of them, 71 patients had anthracosis, including 39 BAF. Their clinical data, bronchoscopic results, CT scan and pulmonary function tests were analyzed and compared.ResultsThe prevalence of anthracosis was 12.0% (71/591), while 54.9% (39/71) of anthrocosis were BAF. BAF patients shared features of old age (77.0±10.4), female domination (59.0%), low smoking ratio (25.6%) and high prevalence of tuberculosis (41.0%). Upper lobe bronchi and right lobe bronchus were the predominant sites of involvement. Right lobe bronchus was the most common site of stenosis or occlusion in BAF. According to CT scan, 69.0% of all anthrocasis cases had enlarged or calcificated lymph node in mediastinal or hilar positions. Paratracheal, parahilar, subcarinal lymph nodes were most frequently involved. Compared BAF with non-BAF patients, BAF patients had significantly more cough and expectoration. There was no statistical differences in age, sex, smoking history, infection with tuberculosis, the distribution of anthracosis and abnormal lymph nodes. Though only 26 of 71 patients performed respiratory function tests, there were significantly more cases of obstructive ventilation function disturbance in BAF than in non-BAF patients.ConclusionsAnthracosis occurs at regular locations in lung, usually accompanied with abnormal mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes and associated with tuberculosis. BAF might be a more severe type of anthracosis.