Bilateral Tuberculous Pleurisy with Subsequent Upper Lobe Predominant Pulmonary Fibrosis Mimicking Pleuroparenchymal Fibroelastosis

High prevalence of upper lung field pulmonary fibrosis radiologically consistent with pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis in patients with round atelectasis

BACKGROUND

Upper-lung field pulmonary fibrosis (upper-PF), radiologically consistent with pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE), was reported to develop in patients with a history of asbestos exposure and tuberculous pleurisy, indicating that chronic pleuritis is correlated with upper-PF development. Round atelectasis reportedly emerges after chronic pleuritis. This study aimed to clarify the association between round atelectasis and upper-PF.

METHODS

We examined the radiological reports of all consecutive patients with round atelectasis between 2006 and 2018 and investigated the incidence of upper-PF development.

RESULTS

Among 85 patients with round atelectasis, 21 patients (24.7%) were confirmed to finally develop upper-PF lesions. Upper-PF was diagnosed after round atelectasis recognition in more than half of the patients (13/21, 61.9%), whereas upper-PF and round atelectasis were simultaneously detected in the remaining 8 patients. At the time of round atelectasis detection, almost all patients (19/21, 90.5%) had diffuse pleural thickening and round atelectasis was commonly observed in non-upper lobes of 19 patients (90.5%). Fourteen patients had round atelectasis in unilateral lung, and the remaining 7 patients had round atelectasis in bilateral lungs. Among all 14 patients with unilateral round atelectasis, upper-PF developed on the same (n = 11) or both sides (n = 3). Thus, upper-PF emerged on the same side where round atelectasis was present (14/14, 100%). The autopsy of one patient revealed a thickened parietal-visceral pleura suggestive of chronic pleuritis. Subpleural fibroelastosis was also observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Upper-PF occasionally develops on the same side of round atelectasis. Upper-PF may develop as a sequela of chronic pleuritis.

Asbestos exposure and tuberculous pleurisy as developmental causes of progressive unilateral upper-lung field pulmonary fibrosis radiologically consistent with pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis

BACKGROUND

Unilateral upper-lung field pulmonary fibrosis (upper-PF), which is radiologically consistent with pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis, develops after thoracic surgery. In most patients with unilateral upper-PF, aberrant intra-/extra thoracic air commonly emerges and an autopsy shows chronic pleuritis, which indicates that pleural involvement is associated with upper-PF development. If so, there may be patients with unilateral upper-PF who have a history of pleural involvement, including tuberculous pleurisy (TP) or asbestos exposure (AE). This study aimed to examine this supposition.

METHODS

We examined the radiological reports of all consecutive patients from 2012 to 2018 to investigate whether there were patients having unilateral upper-PF and a history of TP or AE.

RESULTS

Eight patients were included in the study. Five patients had a history of TP, and the remaining three had that of AE. All patients were men and had respiratory symptoms, and seven patients presented with restrictive ventilatory impairment. The interval between TP or last AE and upper-PF development was long, with a median of over 20 years. The upper-PF lesion was commonly located in the right lung, and aberrant intrathoracic air was observed in five patients during their clinical course. Additionally, the upper-PF lesion transformed into a cystic lesion in six patients, which resulted in Aspergillus infection in two patients. The prognosis was poor, with a median overall survival of 38 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Unilateral upper-PF developed even in patients with a history of pleural involvement. Our results indicate that pleural involvement plays an important role in the development of unilateral upper-PF.

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis: Clinical, radiological and histopathological features

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) is a rare, generally idiopathic form of interstitial pneumonia with unique clinical, radiological and histopathological features. It is named after the presence of upper lobe pleural and subjacent parenchymal fibrosis, with accompanying elastic fibers. Although it is usually an idiopathic disease, it has been linked to other co-existent diseases. Diagnostic suspicion of PPFE is based on the identification of typical abnormalities on chest CT scan, which are prevailingly located in the upper lobes, adjacent to the apex of the lungs. Diagnosis can be confirmed by histological analysis, although biopsy is not always feasible. The disease is generally progressive, but not uniformly. The course of the disease is frequently slow and involves a progressive loss of upper lobe volume, which results in platythorax, associated with a significant reduction of body mass. PPFE concomitant to other interstitial lung diseases is associated with a poorer prognosis. The disease occasionally progresses rapidly causing irreversible respiratory insufficiency, which leads to death. Currently, there is no effective pharmacological therapy available, and lung transplantation is the best therapeutic option. The purpose of this review is to draw the attention to PPFE, describe its clinical, radiological and histopathological features, analyze its diagnostic criteria, and provide an update on the management of the disease.

Unilateral upper lung-field pulmonary fibrosis radiologically consistent with pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis after thoracic surgery: Clinical and radiological courses with autopsy findings

BACKGROUND

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) is a rare idiopathic interstitial pneumonia characterized by pleural and parenchymal involvements predominantly in the upper lobes. Unilateral upper-lung field pulmonary fibrosis (upper-PF) radiologically consistent with PPFE was recently reported in patients with a history of open thoracotomy and presented with impaired thoracic movements in the operated side with unknown mechanisms. This retrospective study aimed to elucidate the clinical and radiological courses and pathological findings of unilateral upper-PF.

METHODS

All the consecutive patients diagnosed as having unilateral upper-PF between March 2012 and April 2018 were included. Radiological images and clinical courses before and after the diagnosis were thoroughly reviewed.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients were included. Unilateral upper-PF was diagnosed after a median of 4.8 years from the open thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracic surgery for treating lung or esophageal cancer, or bronchiectasis. Before or at diagnosis, 12 (85.7%) of 14 patients developed aberrant intrathoracic/extrathoracic air suggestive of pleural fistula, although the degree was slight. Of note, the upper-PF lesion apparently deteriorated once aberrant air emerged in all the patients. After diagnosis, the upper-PF lesion transformed into cystic lesion in 9 patients, 4 of whom eventually developed pulmonary aspergillosis. The prognosis was poor, with a median overall survival of 49.3 months. The autopsy in one patient demonstrated findings consistent with PPFE and chronic pleuritis.

CONCLUSIONS

Unilateral upper-PF developed after thoracic surgeries and had many clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics in common with idiopathic PPFE. Our results indicate that the commonly observed aberrant air may be correlated with disease development and progression.

Functional associations of pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis and emphysema with hypersensitivity pneumonitis

BACKGROUND

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) has been described in hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) yet its functional implications are unclear. Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) has occasionally been described in never-smokers with HP, but epidemiological data regarding its prevalence is sparse. CTs in a large HP cohort were therefore examined to identify the prevalence and effects of PPFE and emphysema.

Methods

233 HP patients had CT extents of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and emphysema quantified to the nearest 5%. Lobar percentage pleural involvement of PPFE was quantified on a 4-point categorical scale: 0 = absent, 1 = affecting <10%, 2 = affecting 10–33%, 3 = affecting >33%. Marked PPFE reflected a total lung score of ≥3/18. Results were evaluated against FVC, DLco and mortality.

RESULTS

Marked PPFE prevalence was 23% whilst 23% of never-smokers had emphysema. Following adjustment for patient age, gender, smoking status, and ILD and emphysema extents, marked PPFE independently linked to reduced baseline FVC (p = 0.0002) and DLco (p = 0.002) and when examined alongside the same covariates, independently linked to worsened survival (p = 0.01).

CPFE in HP demonstrated a characteristic functional profile of artificial lung volume preservation and disproportionate DLco reduction. CPFE did not demonstrate a worsened outcome when compared to HP patients without emphysema beyond that explained by CT extents of ILD and emphysema.

CONCLUSIONS

PPFE is not uncommon in HP, and is independently associated with impaired lung function and increased mortality. Emphysema was identified in 23% of HP never-smokers. CPFE appears not to link to a malignant microvascular phenotype as outcome is explained by ILD and emphysema extents.

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In patients with HP, marked PPFE had a prevalence of 23% in our study cohort.

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23% of never-smokers with HP demonstrated emphysema on CT imaging.

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Outcome in HP patients with CPFE is explained by CT extents of ILD and emphysema.

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PPFE is independently associated with a worsened outcome in HP.