A 20-year-old man with fever, chest pain, and lung nodules

Waterpipe smoking: a review of pulmonary and health effects

Waterpipe smoking is an old form of tobacco smoking, originating in Persia and the Middle East. The popularity of the waterpipe is increasing worldwide, particularly among young adults, and there are widespread misconceptions regarding its negative health effects. The inhaled smoke of the waterpipe contain several toxic and hazardous materials including nicotine, tar, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals, all of which are proven to be related to lung diseases and cancer. Regular waterpipe smoking is associated with respiratory symptoms, a decrease in pulmonary function and increased risk for lung disease such as COPD. Additional negative health effects include increased risk for arterial stiffness, ischaemic heart disease and several cancer types including lung cancer. This review summarises the negative health effects of waterpipe smoking, with emphasis on cardiorespiratory complications. Increased awareness and knowledge amongst healthcare professionals will hopefully help identify waterpipe smokers and promote patient education. Applying World Health Organization (WHO) regulations will provide a synergistic effect in reducing waterpipe use and associated disease.

A Review of the Pulmonary and Health Impacts of Hookah Use

Hookah is a single-stemmed or multistemmed instrument for vaporizing and smoking flavored tobacco, whose smoke is passed through a water basin before inhalation. The use of hookah dates back centuries and is believed to have originated in India during the reign of Akbar the Great or the Safavid dynasty of Persia. Outside its native region, hookah smoking has gained popularity throughout the world, especially among younger people. There is generally a misconception among hookah users that it is less addictive than combustible cigarette smoking and that there is little to no nicotine content in hookah, with some even believing that certain additives impart health benefits. Although studies investigating the health hazards of hookah are rather limited, the inhaled smoke contains large quantities of nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic compounds, carboxylic compounds, and various inorganic compounds such as heavy metals, all of which are found in combustible cigarette smoking. Regular hookah use is associated with an increased risk of obstructive lung disease as well as lung cancer and malignancies of the head and neck. This narrative review summarizes the available data on the health hazards of hookah, with an emphasis on pulmonary complications. Increased knowledge and awareness of hookah smoking among healthcare providers can potentially lead to better patient education and identification of at-risk populations.

Shisha smoking as a possible cause of bilateral granulomatous lung lesions

A 19‐year‐old male who regularly smoked tobacco shisha pipes presented with pleuritic chest pain, dyspnoea, and cough. He was found to have multiple bilateral lung nodules on computed tomography. A biopsy of the lung revealed necrotizing granulomatous inflammation but without evidence of infection, foreign body, vasculitis, or malignancy. There was spontaneous and complete clinical and radiographic resolution over the next 12 weeks following cessation of shisha use.

Imaging of Small Airways Diseases

Small airways disease, or bronchiolitis, encompasses many conditions that result in bronchiolar inflammation and/or fibrosis. Bronchioles are distal airways within secondary pulmonary lobules that are only visible on imaging when abnormal. High-resolution computed tomography plays an important role in diagnosing small airways disease. The predominant direct high-resolution computed tomography sign of bronchiolitis includes centrilobular nodules, whereas air trapping is the main indirect finding. This article reviews bronchiolar anatomy, discusses the differential diagnosis for cellular and constrictive bronchiolitis with a focus on key imaging features, and discusses how to distinguish important mimics.