Paola M. Soccal

Background: Endobronchial coils have been demonstrated in three randomized, controlled trials to improve quality of life, exercise tolerance, and lung function in patients with severe emphysema. This therapy is CE-marked and commercially available in Switzerland. Coil treated patients are followed in a post-market Swiss registry to collect safety and effectiveness data in routine clinical practice. Methods: The Swiss coil registry was initiated in October 2013. At the end of November 2016, an interim analysis of all 64 patients treated in five centers was performed to evaluate safety and effectiveness at six months post treatment. Results: patients had completed bilateral treatment with 6-month follow up at the time of data analysis. Patients had very severe, symptomatic emphysema and hyperinflation [38% male, mean age 66 years, BMI 24, FEV1 30% pred., residual volume (RV) 247% pred., 6-minute walking distance (6-MWD) 272 m, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) 57 points]. Up to 6 months following treatment, seven serious adverse events (SAE) were reported in 6/29 patients. No device removals were necessary. At 6 months, responder rates [% achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID)] were as follows: RV (−0.35 L) 76%; FEV1 (+10%) 57%; SGRQ (−4 points) 87%; 6MWD (+26 m) 60%. Conclusions: Endobronchial coil therapy performed in expert centers in Switzerland yields high 6-month responder rates across all relevant outcome

Bronchiectasis is irreversible bronchial dilatation associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. Management is aimed at reducing symptoms and slowing the progression of the disease by interrupting the vicious circle: bronchial infection, inflammation, altered mucociliary clearance, lung destruction. Unlike the literature on inhaled antibiotics in cystic fibrosis, literature data are limited and of low quality for bronchiectasis of other causes. However, new recommendations from the European Respiratory Society propose the conditional use of inhaled antibiotics to prevent repeated infectious exacerbations and to eradicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe progressive and irreversible lung disease. Novel antifibrotic drugs that slow disease progression are now available. However, many issues regarding patient management remain unanswered, such as the choice between available drugs, their use in particular subgroups and clinical situations, time of treatment onset, termination, combination or switch, or nonpharmacologic management. To guide Swiss respiratory physicians in this evolving field still characterized by numerous areas of uncertainty, the Swiss Working Group for interstitial and rare lung diseases of the Swiss Respiratory Society provides a position paper on the diagnosis and treatment of IPF.

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease characterized by variable manifestations and course. About 50% of patients will require systemic treatment, while the remaining will present spontaneous resolution of the disease. When a systemic therapy is necessary, it is prolonged and relapse rate is high when it is discontinued. Systemic corticosteroids are the first line treatment in sarcoidosis. Because of many side effects, it is essential to consider other drugs in case of intolerance to steroids, as steroid-sparing agents, or in case of inefficiency of corticotherapy alone.

We discuss here three recent applications of high technology in pulmonary medicine. GeneXpert has considerably improved the diagnosis of active tuberculosis. However, the test has also its limits so that clinical assessment, radiology, and sputum microscopy remain fundamental. Treatment of severe emphysema by lung volume reduction is no longer confined to surgical approach, but is now possible by bronchoscopy. Implantation of Nitinol coils in the most diseased parts of the emphysematous lung is a promising technique. Finally, several clinical trials on bronchial thermoplasty have been reported for intractable asthma. The recent publication of the long term effects of this technique is the occasion to update on this matter.

Background. Lung transplant recipients are frequently exposed to respiratory viruses and are particularly at risk for severe complications. The aim o

Large fragments of a transplanted lung from living lung recipients are rarely available. The case presented is that of a patient who underwent lingulectomy after a gunshot trauma. We describe the patchy panel of histological findings encountered in the resected specimen, ranging from normal lung to zones of acute and chronic rejection. Such contrasting findings have already been described, but should prompt us to exercise caution when interpreting histological results of routine transbronchial biopsies.