2026 PPS Lifetime Achievement Award
William D. Travis, MD
PPS 2026 - Registration now available! (early bird pricing ends 5/1/2026)
2026 PPS Biennial Meeting Program (pdf) (webpage)
Hotel Accomodations
Meeting venue: Palais Montcalm
Abstract submission closed
June 27 1:00 - 4:00 PM (last day)
Additional Session: International Mesothelioma Panel (all PPS members welcome!)
At main venue. Free - No additional Cost
See Program
February Case of the Month Clinical History:
A 31-year-old man, who underwent a double lung transplant for cystic fibrosis in 2008 and a deceased donor kidney transplant in 2017, was admitted in June 2025 for evaluation of bilateral cavitated lung lesions. He is currently asymptomatic, denying fever, dyspnea, cough, sputum production, chest pain, or other symptoms. He is a non-smoker and does not consume alcohol or other drugs. He reports that in early May 2025, he experienced a cough with brownish sputum, for which his physician prescribed cefuroxime and fluidasa, resulting in clinical improvement. Currently, he presents a non-productive cough without other symptoms.
The chest CT scan from July 3, 2025, shows cavitated consolidations: one in the right upper lobe (RUL) measuring 3 cm and another in the right lower lobe (RLL) of 2.5 cm, along with small non-cavitated consolidation foci predominantly in the right hemithorax. A partially loculated right pleural effusion and a small left pleural effusion are also present. Given the negative culture results, clinical stability, and the need to rule out neoplasia, a surgical biopsy was performed, and a sample was sent for intraoperative study.
The submitted material consisted of fragments of lung parenchyma with firm consistency and poorly defined whitish-yellow areas. No evident tumor masses were identified. The intraoperative study (Figure 1) showed chronic suppurative inflammation with abundant infiltrate of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and plasma cells, associated with areas of necrosis and microabscesses. In the subsequent deferred study, rounded basophilic granules were identified, consisting of bacterial colonies with a central filamentous arrangement and a peripheral eosinophilic halo (Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon) (Figures 2 and 3). Gram staining revealed Gram-positive filamentous bacilli (Figure 4). Grocott staining was positive (Figure 5), highlighting filamentous structures. Ziehl-Neelsen staining was negative (Figure 6).
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A 31-year-old man, who underwent a double lung transplant for cystic fibrosis in 2008 and a deceased donor kidney transplant in 2017, was admitted in June 2025 for evaluation of bilateral cavitated lung lesions. He is currently asymptomatic, denying fever, dyspnea, cough, sputum production, chest pain, or other symptoms. He is a non-smoker and does not consume alcohol or other drugs. He reports that in early May 2025, he experienced a cough with brownish sputum, for which his physician prescribed cefuroxime and fluidasa, resulting in clinical improvement. Currently, he presents a non-productive cough without other symptoms.
The chest CT scan from July 3, 2025, shows cavitated consolidations: one in the right upper lobe (RUL) measuring 3 cm and another in the right lower lobe (RLL) of 2.5 cm, along with small non-cavitated consolidation foci predominantly in the right hemithorax. A partially loculated right pleural effusion and a small left pleural effusion are also present. Given the negative culture results, clinical stability, and the need to rule out neoplasia, a surgical biopsy was performed, and a sample was sent for intraoperative study.
The submitted material consisted of fragments of lung parenchyma with firm consistency and poorly defined whitish-yellow areas. No evident tumor masses were identified. The intraoperative study (Figure 1) showed chronic suppurative inflammation with abundant infiltrate of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and plasma cells, associated with areas of necrosis and microabscesses. In the subsequent deferred study, rounded basophilic granules were identified, consisting of bacterial colonies with a central filamentous arrangement and a peripheral eosinophilic halo (Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon) (Figures 2 and 3). Gram staining revealed Gram-positive filamentous bacilli (Figure 4). Grocott staining was positive (Figure 5), highlighting filamentous structures. Ziehl-Neelsen staining was negative (Figure 6).
Click here to see more.
