Studies have investigated the effects of lockdowns on air quality around the world and found that fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide concentrations decreased due to reduced human activity, ...while ozone concentrations increased. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the correlation between daily stringency index values of our country and daily PM10, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone measurements in different districts of Istanbul between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2022.
Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and National Air Quality Monitoring Network data on Istanbul air quality monitoring stations were used. The analysis included 15 stations that can monitor at least 75% of the days in a year. PM10, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone were the main pollutants analyzed.
There was negative correlation between daily PM10 measurements and daily stringency index values in 3 stations; there was positive correlation in 6 stations. Between daily stringency index values and daily nitrogen dioxide measurements, there was a negative correlation in 3 stations and a positive correlation in 1 station. The daily measurements of 1 station showed a negative correlation with the daily values of stringency index for both PM10 and nitrogen dioxide. In 1 station, while PM10 measures were negatively correlated with stringency index, nitrogen dioxide measurements were positively correlated.
This study showed that pandemic limitations could not improve Istanbul's air quality everywhere. For adequate evaluation of impact of the limitations on air quality, it may be more relevant to study the socioeconomic infrastructure of each living area, the sociospatial inequality, industrial employment, the number of households, the density of employee class, and so on with all influencing factors that could have contributed to these various changes.
The new UK strain was first described in December 2020. It was seen for the first time in Turkey in February 2021. It is not yet known whether the new strain has different CT patterns compared to the ...classical type. We present a 68-years-old male patient with an atypical CT presentation in which GGOs are gathered around the areas of paraseptal emphysema accompanied by CT and clinical findings. This involvement is an unexpected pattern because of the atypical distribution of the GGO.
The most common thoracic manifestation form of ankylosing spondylitis is apical fibrocystic changes. It is also known as apical fibrobullous disease (AFBD). The patient was diagnosed with ankylosing ...spondylitis before 9 years. He suffered COVID-19 infection and passed an intensive care period. However, post-covid fibrosis (PCF) atypically affected dominantly apical zones. If we had no sequential CT evaluations, our case could be easily confused with AFBD. On CT taken before COVID-19, the lung apex was normal. Thus, it was confirmed that there was no rheumatologic thoracic manifestation in the patient before suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia. PCF created similar changes as AFBD. Our case is the first reported paper on this topic.
Objectives: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program for patients with chronic respiratory problems increases the patients quality of life and increases their exercise capacity. In order to maintain ...improvement in exercise capacity and quality of life, patients should continue to exercise after the program. The aim of this study is to compare the pre- and post-program findings of the patients who were included in the PR program with a one-year interval and to determine their gains. Methods: Nine patients (7 asthma, 2 copd) who underwent PR for the second time were included in the study. 6 minutes walking distance, respiratory function tests, dyspnea perception and leg fatigue (MRC-BORG Scale), disease specific (SGRQ) quality of life and hospital anxiety depression scale were evaluated before and after the two programs. Results: When the pre-PR program findings of the patients were compared, it was observed that the FEV1, leg fatigue and quality of life were significantly better in second year than the first year. However, when the post-program data were compared, it was found that there was no statistically significant differance accept decreasing leg fatigue compared to first year. After the second PR application, a statistically significant increase was found in only 6 minutes walking distance. Conclusion: The initial value of the patients participating in the second time PR program is better than the initial values of the first program. So we can say that the gains after the first program can be preserved after 1 year. The increase in FEV1 can be associated with superior number of asthmatic patients in the study. When the outcomes after both PR programs were compared, the reason for the lower number of gains at the end of the second program could be explained by the fact that the patients started second PR program with significantly good parameters. The increase in the 6-minute walking distance was the only gain as a result of the second PR application shows the necessity of conducting studies to evaluate the cost effectiveness of the second apply to PR program.
Objectives: It is recommended that patients continue to exercise for 3-5 days per week in order to maintain the gains achieved in the pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program applied to patients with ...chronic lung disease. During the PR program or home program after the PR, patients leave the program for various reasons. We aimed to investigate the reasons of patients who could not complete the PR program by examining their files and to investigate the causes of the patients who underwent PR by applying a treatment compliance control survey. Methods: We reviewed the files of 69 patients who were included in the PR program in the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit of Burdur State Hospital. We saw that 18 could not complete the PR program. Of the remaining 51 patients, 36 could be reached by telephone. The questionnaire consisting of 7 questions was applied by phone call. Results: The patient compliance to our PR program was 73.9%. It was seen that 44% of the patients who had left the PR program due to health problems. 50% of our patients were women. 75% were in the 40-69 age range and 52.8% had asthma. Home program patient compliance was 63.9%. 69% of the patients who did not comply with the home program stated that they did not comply with the program due to lack of motivation. It was seen that the patients who applied home program properly performed breathing exercises more regularly than those who did not (p 0.003), they used their inhalers more regularly (p 0.047) and they could climb more stairs (p 0.047). The rate of admission to the hospital due to lung problems was 16.7% within one year following the post-PR period. Conclusion: The biggest problems that prevented compliance with the PR program and the proposed home program were the health status of the patients and lack of motivation in our study. There is a need for studies on what to do to increase motivation.
Aim. Our paper aims to discuss the radiological and clinical findings of chronic pulmonary embolism (CPTE) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) over the patient's findings.
...Material and Methods. We present the case of a 49-year-old female patient with CPTE and CTEPH.
Results and Discussion. CPTE is a long-term consequence of unresolved pulmonary embolism. Since pulmonary embolism's frequency dramatically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, CPTE once again has become one of the current topics of scientific conversations. Radiology is a gold standard for diagnosis. CPTE is a complex pathology and multisystemic evaluation is essential.
Conclusions. Computed tomography (CT) findings can be classified into four groups: vascular, parenchymal, and systemic findings due to pulmonary hypertension and collateral formations. Changes in the ratio of right and left ventricle, size of the pulmonary artery, bowing sign and presence of mosaic attenuation should be directed us to the diagnosis of CTEPH in the patient with CPTE.
Anthracosis is a type of mild pneumoconiosis secondary to harmless carbon dust deposits. Although anthracosis was previously associated with inhaled coal particles, such as coal workers' ...pneumoconiosis, this hypothesis was later abandoned; pathology has been associated with inhaled dust particles. Our paper is the first case report of ANCA-associated vasculitis and anthracosis coexistence. In addition, it aims to highlight that histopathologically proven anthracotic granulomatous nodules can show high FDG uptake in PET/CT contrary to expectation. We present a case of a 73-year-old male with p-ANCA-associated vasculitis and anthracotic lung nodules accompanied by radiological and clinical findings. The patient got diagnosis with p-ANCA-associated vasculitis with serological and rheumatological tests. Atypically, the clinical findings of the patient were weak (No dyspnoea, cough or additional pulmonary complaints). Nodules were present on X-ray graphics and nodules’ contours were irregular on CT. On PET/CT, SUV values of the nodules were high 12 kBq/mL. Histopathological specimens showed multiple lung granulomas including anthracosis particles. Until performing the biopsy, we could not exclude the possibility of malignancy. Conclusion: When lung involvement of vasculitis is superimposed by anthracosis, it can create granulomas with high SUV values. The relationship between anthracosis and parenchymal lung diseases is a current topic and many recently published papers are present on this subject. To the best of our knowledge, our paper is the first paper showing the relationship between parenchymal involvement of vasculitis and anthracosis in the literature. Environmental pollution and dust particles are the known reasons for anthracosis particles in the nodules. It is open to future research on whether air pollution triggers new atypical cases or not.
Anthracosis is a type of mild pneumoconiosis secondary to harmless carbon dust deposits. Although anthracosis was previously associated with inhaled coal particles, such as coal workers' ...pneumoconiosis, this hypothesis was later abandoned; pathology has been associated with inhaled dust particles. Our paper is the first case report of ANCA-associated vasculitis and anthracosis coexistence. In addition, it aims to highlight that histopathologically proven anthracotic granulomatous nodules can show high FDG uptake in PET/CT contrary to expectation. We present a case of a 73-year-old male with p-ANCA-associated vasculitis and anthracotic lung nodules accompanied by radiological and clinical findings. The patient got diagnosis with p-ANCA-associated vasculitis with serological and rheumatological tests. Atypically, the clinical findings of the patient were weak (No dyspnoea, cough or additional pulmonary complaints). Nodules were present on X-ray graphics and nodules' contours were irregular on CT. On PET/CT, SUV values of the nodules were high 12 kBq/mL. Histopathological specimens showed multiple lung granulomas including anthracosis particles. Until performing the biopsy, we could not exclude the possibility of malignancy. Conclusion: When lung involvement of vasculitis is superimposed by anthracosis, it can create granulomas with high SUV values. The relationship between anthracosis and parenchymal lung diseases is a current topic and many recently published papers are present on this subject. To the best of our knowledge, our paper is the first paper showing the relationship between parenchymal involvement of vasculitis and anthracosis in the literature. Environmental pollution and dust particles are the known reasons for anthracosis particles in the nodules. It is open to future research on whether air pollution triggers new atypical cases or not.
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