Likewise young age has been previously reported, however, the oldest patient in our case series is 79-years old. This suggests the diagnosis should be considered regardless of age in patients with pulmonary infiltrates of non-infectious etiology. Interestingly the patients in our series did not have a new or increased smoking history contrary to prior published associations [2], [6], [7] and [8]. Eighty-three percent of all reported patients are current smokers (Table 3). It is difficult to differentiate between new-onset smokers or individuals with alterations in smoking habits due to reporting styles and differing cutoffs in the articles presented. Only one of our eight

patients had recently altered smoking habits (patient 6). So while smoking is a known association, individuals who lack this history should not be discounted. Idiopathic AEP is a

truly rare condition comprising selleckchem approximately 4% of cases of pulmonary eosinophilia at our institution. Inclusion criteria vary but consideration should be made for patients with pulmonary eosinophilia by BAL or biopsy and diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. Other criteria include approximately one month of symptoms, desaturation at rest or with exercise, and subjective or objective fevers. Not all reported cases appear to meet all criteria and disease severity can range from self-resolving to fatal. Idiopathic AEP should remain in the differential regardless of age, sex, or smoking association although these remain diagnostic clues. The authors declare that they Panobinostat have no conflict of interest. Funding: Mayo Foundation. “
“Enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes can result from a number of potentially serious aetiologies including tuberculosis (TB), carcinoma, lymphoma, sarcoidosis or can be benign. Investigation traditionally involved mediastinoscopy but this has been mainly superseded by endobronchial

ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). This procedure is less invasive and can sample an increased range of lymph nodes [1]. EBUS-TBNA has been demonstrated to be a valuable Tryptophan synthase diagnostic tool in lung cancer [2], sarcoidosis [3] and tuberculosis [4]. The accumulation of a black, carbon-containing pigment, within the airways or lungs of those exposed to coal dust, biomass smoke or air pollution is well recognized [5] and [6]. Anthracosis has also been described in mediastinal nodes mimicking TB [7] and malignancy [8] and [9]. Invasive thoracoscopy or mediastinoscopy was required to elucidate anthracosis as the final diagnosis in these cases [7] and [9]. Anthracosis has also been identified by transoesophageal endosonography with fine needle aspiration in a case of anthracosis presenting on F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) with hypermetabolic mediastinal lymphadenopathy mimicking malignancy [8].