The objective of the study: to investigate the specific features of intra-abdominal lymphadenopathy in HIV positive patients, to define the best differential diagnostic criteria.
Subjects and methods. Medical records of 113 HIV positive patients with intra-abdominal lymphadenopathy for 2012-2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients underwent the comprehensive examination including X-ray and endoscopy, laboratory assays, tests of biopsy specimens collected from lymph nodes, microbiological and molecular genetic tests.
Results. Due to this comprehensive examination, which included invasive diagnostics, etiology of intra-abdominal adenopathy was confirmed in all 113 patients: 75 (66.4%) were diagnosed with tuberculosis, 29 (25.7%) – mycobacterial infection, and 9 (8.8%) had a lymphoproliferative disease. The article presents the criteria for differential diagnostics between these diseases.

The objective of the study: to compare the strength of respiratory muscle in the patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the combination of these two conditions, to assure the informativeness of the indicators for verification of these diseases.
Subjects and methods. In the in-patient unit, 130 patients with a severe course of asthma, COPD and combination of asthma + COPD were examined. The strength expiratory (MEP) and inspiratory (MIP, SNIP) indicators of respiratory muscles were registered using MicroRPM (CareFusion, United Kingdom), their due values were calculated. The logistic regression models were used to assure informativeness of MEP, MIP, and SNIP for verification of certain forms of bronchial obstruction.
Results. The reduction in the strength of expiratory and inspiratory muscles was observed in the patients from all groups. Dysfunction of expiratory muscle dominated in asthma patients, while in COPD patients and those with both conditions it was diaphragm dysfunction. The correlation analysis demonstrated the dependence of respiratory muscle strength on the intensity of bronchial obstruction and lung hyperinflation, skeletal muscles mass, body mass index, respiratory discomfort, and functional state of the patients. It was found out that the ratio of MEP/MIP had a high prognostic value and significantly improved the accuracy of the models of stratification of those examined by nosologic groups.
Conclusion. Testing respiratory muscle strength makes an informative tool for comprehensive assessment of respiratory functions in patients with different clinical variants of bronchial obstruction.

The objective of the study: to assess the efficacy of patient-oriented chemotherapy of local tuberculous lesions in children exposed to multiple/extensive drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR/XDR TB) based on the results of the immediate and postponed follow-up, and to define the criteria of chemotherapy efficacy in such cases.
Subjects and methods: 39 children (3-12 years old) with tuberculosis of chest lymph nodes or focal pulmonary tuberculosis. Patients were randomly divided into two groups treated with different chemotherapy regimens: Group 1 (20 persons) – 5 drugs for the intensive phase / 4 drugs for the continuation phase; Group 2 (19 patients) – 4 drugs for the intensive phase / 3 drugs for the continuation phase. The regimen consisted of the drugs, to which the index case was susceptible. Chemotherapy efficacy was assessed based on the immediate (the ones observed during chemotherapy) and postponed follow-up results (in 1 and 2 years upon treatment completion). The duration of the intensive phase and total duration of treatment were the same in both groups: Group 1 – 3.5 ± 0.5 and 10.5 ± 0.5 months respectively; Group 2 – 3.1 ± 0.6 and 10.0 ± 0.6 months respectively.
Results. The efficacy of patient-oriented chemotherapy was confirmed in both groups by results of immediate follow-up and absence of relapses in 1 and 2 years upon chemotherapy completion.
Conclusions. The supposed chemotherapy regimens can be used in children with local tuberculous lesions exposed to MDR/XDR tuberculosis as an alternative to standard regimens.

The majority of errors committed during spirometry results in the lower values of test results.
The objective: to compare spirometry results obtained when using standard criteria of American Thoracic Society / European Respiratory Society and visual quality control.
Subjects and methods. Spirometry was performed twice in 62 patients using different quality control methods. Bland – Altman method was used for statistic analysis.
Results. The values of forced volume vital capacity (FVL) and forced expiratory volume during the 1st second (FEV1) were higher when using standard criteria compared to visual quality control. The mean difference in FVL made 0.40 ± 0.28 L and in FEV1 – 0.07 ± 0.21 L.
Conclusion. Using the standard criteria during spirometry can significantly improve the quality of the test and prevent errors.

The objective of the study: to optimize aerostasis methods in case of pulmonary resections.
Subjects and methods. The efficacy of combined aerostasis methods was compared upon surgery results in 227 patients with pulmonary diseases (97.4% – pulmonary tuberculosis) in the age from 18 to 65 years old.
Results. Machine stitch is a reliable way to seal the lung resection margin providing aerostasis in 24 hours after surgery in 63.6% (95% CI 50.4-75.1%) of the patients, while 38.2% of them suffered from concurrent emphysema.
In case of bleeding from machine stitching of lung resection line, it is advisable to add manual stitching with consequent latex tissue adhesive (the frequency of aerostasis (in 24 hours) increases from 40.7 to 90.9%; χ2 = 30.6; p2-4 < 0.01).
In pulmonary resections, use of latex tissue adhesive for additional sealing of machine stitch with a positive hydrostatic test result allowed achieving aerostasis in 24 hours in 95.2% given the high frequency (31.7%) of concurrent pulmonary emphysema.

The objective of the study: a retrospective study of occupational tuberculosis cases in Ryazan Region.
Subjects and methods. The data of all health care workers with occupational tuberculosis (137 people) in Ryazan Region from 1978 to 2016 were analyzed.
Results. From 1995 to 2008, the epidemic situation was highly unfavorable with a high frequency of occupational tuberculosis in health care workers in Razyan and Razyan Region, when every year from 3 to 15 workers developed tuberculosis, and the incidence reached 230.7 per 100,000 medical workers (2001). From 2011 to 2016, there were very few cases of the occupational disease, in 2015, there were no such cases at all. Among medical doctors, who developed occupational tuberculosis, 50% was TB doctors and 26% was doctors of Forensic Medicine Bureau. One of the positive aspects was the timely detection of tuberculosis in health care workers (in 98.6% of cases).