Female sexual dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background

Sexual life of women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be affected by breathing difficulties, a decrease in functional status, depressive mood and fatigue.

Objetive

To evaluate the sexual dysfunction in female COPD patients and the possible explanatory mechanisms or correlations between these conditions.

Methods

The study included 70 female patients with COPD aged between 36-65 and 70 age-matched controls. All the subjects completed questionnaires for the Female Sexual Functional Index (FSFI), BECK depression inventory and, spirometry.

Results

Statistically significant sexual dysfunction was noted in COPD patients compared to the non-COPD group (p<0.001). BECK depression inventory scores of the COPD patients were also significantly lower (p<0.001). no correlation between FSFI and BECK depression scores in 'patients' characteristics (r=-0.055, p=0.651). No significant difference was found in age, forced expiratory volume (FEV)1%, and exacerbation history of the previous year according to severity of depression (p>0.005). In linear regression analysis determining depression, no statistically significant factor was found among age, number of comorbidities, and FEV1/ forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted (p>0.05). In multivariable analysis, only fatigue during intercourse was found to be a statistically significant factor in predicting sexual dysfunction among factors like age, presence of comorbidities, duration of the disease, smoking status, FEV1%, m MRCpoints, 6-minutes walk test, BECK depression scores (p=0.008).

Conclusion

Sexual dysfunction is reported in many COPD females and seems to be related not to spirometric measures or exercise capacity but to fatigue. Depression is also a common comorbidity, of which both disorders are often neglected.

Comparison of chest computed tomography findings of RT-PCR negative and RT-PCR positive cases in COVID-19 patients

OBJECTIVE

The purpose was to compare the results of the RT-PCR test, with the findings of Chest CT and to determine the features of CT for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and how to approach RT-PCR negative patients.

MATERIAL METHOD

Chest CT findings of 569 COVID-19 diagnosed patients, followed up at the pandemic wards between March and June 2020 were retrospectively examined. Patients were grouped according to RT-PCR results, gender, and age.

RESULTS

284 (49%) were RT-PCR(+), 285 (50.8%) were RT-PCR(-) of total 569 patients. 11 (1.9%) of RT-PCR(+) had no involvement in Chest CT while all the RT-PCR(-) patients were CT(+). The distribution of lesions in CT were; 544 (95.6%) bilateral, 553 (97.2%) multilobar, 557(98%) peripherally 151 (26.5%) posteriorly localized. The most common findings were; 539 (94.7%) ground-glass opacity (GGO), 365 (64.1%) consolidation, 160 (28.1%) crazy paving interlobular septal thickening. CO-RADS mean value was 5.4 ± 0.7. GGO and reticulation in RT-PCR(-) patients were 280 (98.2%) and 24 (8.4%); while they were 259 (91.2%) and 12 (4.2%) in RT-PCR(+) patients, were significantly higher (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed, in CT findings for gender. Only the findings of crazy paving interlobular septal thickening and reticulation in 18-64 age group were significantly higher than that in 65-94 age group, 105 (24.8%)-55 (37.9%), 19 (4.5%)-17 (11.7%) respectively (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The typical findings of COVID-19 pneumonia in Chest CT are: GGO, consolidation and crazy paving in bilateral, peripheral, posterior localization. CT plays an essential role for diagnosis, isolation and treatment in cases of COVID-19 and RT-PCR negative test should be verified by CT.

Peripapillary vascular density and retinal nerve fibre layer changes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

INTRODUCTION

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a systemic disease which may cause end organ damage.

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we aimed to investigate the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness changes in patients with COPD.

METHODS

The right eyes of 35 patients with COPD and 35 healthy controls were evaluated with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). RPC density values and RNFL thicknesses were measured and compared.

RESULTS

The mean inside disc vascular density and the mean peripapillary vascular density values were lower in the COPD group (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively). When the peripapillary area was evaluated independently as eight different quadrants, the RPC density values were lower in the COPD group in all of the quadrants except superotemporal and temporal superior quadrants. RNFL was thinner in all quadrants in the COPD group compared to the control group. But this difference was significant only in the nasal superior and inferonasal quadrants (p = 0.03, p = 0.04, respectively). Although, there was no correlation between the mean RPC density and the mean peripapillary RNFL thickness of the patients, FEV1 values for all patients were found to be correlated with the mean peripapillary RPC density (r = 0.406, p = 0.015).

CONCLUSION

OCTA may have a potential to be used in the follow-up of COPD patients.