Background: Aim of this study is to report and to analyze the incidence, clinical impact and treatment options of ectopic air localizations after transanal procedures. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the major causes of disability and mortality. The efficacy of maximal medical treatment, although effective at the early stages of the disease, becomes limited when extensive alveolar destruction is the main cause of respiratory failure. At this stage of the disease more aggressive options, when feasible, should be considered. Lung transplantation and lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) are currently available for a selected group of patients.
Severe alpha?1?antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is most frequently associated with the alpha?1?antitrypsin (AAT) Z variant (E342K). ZZ homozygotes exhibit accumulation of AAT as polymers in the endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocytes. This protein deposition can lead to liver disease, with the resulting low circulating levels of AAT predisposing to early?onset emphysema due to dysregulation of elastinolytic activity in the lungs. An increasing number of rare AAT alleles have been identified in patients with severe AATD, typically in combination with the Z allele.
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