This literature review presents findings on various aspects of concurrent bronchial asthma and COVID-19. In particular, it discusses issues of bronchial asthma incidence among patients with confirmed COVID-19, the influence of bronchial asthma on the risk of the new coronavirus infection, and the specific course of bronchial asthma in COVID-19 patients. It considers the use of individual components of basic asthma therapy during the pandemic, in particular, inhaled and systemic corticosteroids, antileukotriene drugs, and targeted therapy. The article pays attention to recommendations for the choice of inhalation devices in light of prevention of the new coronavirus infection spread.

The objective of the study: to analyze the effectiveness of surgery in patients with post-tuberculous urethral strictures/obliterations when buccal mucosa is used for reconstruction.

Subjects and Methods. The surgery was performed in 5 patients with sequelae of specific urethral lesions such as extended strictures or obliterations. All patients underwent ureteroplasty with buccal graft (BG). In 4 cases, tubularized BG was used, and in 1 case it was onlay one.

Results. The patients were followed up for 3-55 months. Over this period no relapse or severe complications were observed.

Conclusion. Buccal ureteroplasty is a promising method for the treatment of post-tuberculous urethral strictures/obliterations with a high risk of other reconstructive surgeries.

The objective of the study: to compare clinical, social, and radiological parameters of respiratory tuberculosis in patients with different HIV statuses in the region with a high prevalence of the coinfection.

Subjects and Methods. The retrospective study of medical files of 80 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was conducted; patients were divided into 2 groups, 40 patients each: TB/HIV Group – patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and HIV infection, TB Group – patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and negative HIV status. The groups were comparable by gender and age. The groups were compared with each other by certain parameters.

Results. Considering clinical signs, patients from TB/HIV Group suffered from more pronounced intoxication syndrome (χ2 = 10.476; p < 0.0012) and respiratory disorders such as severe shortness of breath with difficult inspiration (χ2 = 4.505; p < 0.03). Versus TB Group, patients in TB/HIV Group were more likely to have drug (χ2 = 10.7; p < 0.001) and alcohol addiction (χ2 = 4.21; p < 0.039), suffered from more disseminated disease (χ2 = 8.47 p < 0.003) with small proportion of pulmonary tissue destruction (χ2 = 5.8; p < 0.05), had pronounced intrathoracic lymphadenopathy (χ2 = 9.8; p = 0.0017) and pleural effusion (χ2 = 3.8; p < 0.05). Slower radiological improvement of tuberculous changes during treatment was detected in patients with TB/HIV co-infection versus HIV-negative patients (χ2 = 3.8; p < 0.05).

Compared to CD4 lymphocytes > 200 cell/μl, when CD4 level ≤ 200 cell/μl, the frequency of radiological signs typical of tuberculosis such as alveolar infiltration, destruction of lung tissue decreased in chest CT, while the frequency of atypical manifestations (interstitial changes such as frosted glass) increased.

Between 2008 and 2018, the overall tuberculosis incidence in Novosibirsk Region went down with the moderate annual decrease of 3.9% on average. By the end of 2018, the number of new tuberculosis cases decreased, while the incidence of multiple drug resistant tuberculosis increased. Tuberculosis situation in children from 0 to 17 years old was characterized by stabilization of incidence. In adolescents, these rates moderately decreased (-2.9%), and in children under 14 years old, this rate demonstrated the annual growth of 4.8%. In the context of the large burden of tuberculosis infection (2008), in 61.3% of tuberculosis cases in children aged 0-17 years, the index case of tuberculosis infection (ITBI) was not identified; by 2018, this rate dropped to 30.3%. However, the family exposure to a tuberculosis case was rather a predictor of the disease in children versus adolescents. And among adolescents, the role of casual contacts with ITBI was high (60.6%). Regardless of the epidemic situation, most of the children from 0 to 17 years old who developed tuberculosis were not covered by tuberculosis control activities, one of the reasons was the late detection of the source of tuberculosis infection.

The article describes a rare clinical case of pulmonary dirofilariasis (caused by Dirofilaria repens) manifesting as a combination of bilateral pleural lesions with recurrent exudative pleurisy and parasitic pneumonia mimicking tuberculosis. Based on published data, the pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease development and its specific course are described.

The article presents a clinical case of tuberculosis during the drug-induced immunosuppression after orthotopic heart transplantation. The  anti-tuberculosis therapy in combination with immunosuppressive drugs is described. The course of tuberculosis in the patient was characterized by rapid changes of clinical and radiological signs, both negative and positive with the administration of adequate chemotherapy. The clinical management of this patient required skills of emergency care for life-threatening conditions and command of procedures aimed to prevent their development.

The review analyzes publications devoted to experimental studies of antimicrobial agents with anti-tuberculosis activity added to bone cement.

It presents information about the prospects of using antimicrobial agents in bone cement for treatment of infectious joint diseases.