Diagnosis and conservative treatment of pneumoconiosis in Pulmonary Clinic Munich

About the department

The Department of Pulmonology at the Pulmonary Clinic Munich offers the full range of medical services in its area of specialization. The medical facility provides highly accurate diagnostics and effective treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma, coronavirus infection (COVID-19), pneumonia, lung cancer, tuberculosis, obstructive sleep apnea, and other pulmonary diseases. The therapeutic process begins with a full diagnosis, which may include a set of laboratory tests, pulmonary function testing, imaging studies, and bronchoscopy. Whenever required, lung scintigraphy and combined computed tomography and positron emission tomography (PET/CT) can also be performed here. The department also has a Sleep Laboratory, which performs cardiorespiratory polygraphy and polysomnography for suspected sleep-disordered breathing. For the treatment of pulmonary diseases, the department’s doctors carry out drug therapy, inhalation therapy, oxygen therapy, non-invasive artificial ventilation, and bronchoscopic procedures. The optimal course of treatment is prescribed individually, taking into account the diagnosis, the patient's general condition, the presence of concomitant pathologies, age, etc. Diagnostic examinations and treatment are carried out in strict accordance with current clinical protocols and recommendations of the German Society of Pulmonology (DGP).

The Head Physician of the department is Dr. med. Markus Weinmüller. The specialist trained in Ireland, England, and Switzerland and worked for a long time at reputable hospitals in Munich, in particular at the Hospital Bogenhausen Munich and the Specialized Pulmonary Clinic Asklepios Munich-Gauting, and has also been heading the Pulmonary Clinic Munich for almost ten years. Dr. Weinmuller has excellent professional skills in his field of expertise and brilliantly copes with clinical tasks of any complexity.

One of the primary interests of the department's pulmonologists is the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The pathology is accompanied by impaired patency of the bronchioles, dilation of the alveoli, and impaired gas exchange. COPD causes irreversible pathological changes in the lungs, and therefore it is important to promptly identify the pathology and carry out the necessary treatment. The main risk factor for the development of COPD is smoking, including passive smoking. The main symptoms of COPD include coughing and shortness of breath due to insufficient oxygen saturation in the blood. In the advanced stages of the disease, shortness of breath occurs even with little physical activity or at rest. To make a diagnosis, the department's doctors perform spirometry, computed tomography of the chest, and laboratory tests. The treatment is based on drug therapy with bronchodilators, glucocorticosteroids, mucolytics, and antibiotics. Lifestyle modification also plays an important role. Patients are highly recommended to quit smoking, minimize contact with dust, allergens, and aggressive chemicals, and receive physical therapy. Physiotherapeutic treatment also has a positive effect.

The department also has impressive experience in providing medical care to patients with coronavirus infection (COVID-19). In many situations, the pathology is relatively mild, like many other acute respiratory infections. However, in some cases, COVID-19 may cause serious damage to the lungs and other internal organs, provoke acute respiratory failure, and also lead to long-term complications (post-COVID syndrome). The department’s specialists conduct a comprehensive diagnosis for patients who have suffered a coronavirus infection, based on the results of which they prescribe a course of rehabilitation treatment. It may include drug therapy, CPAP therapy, inhalations, breathing exercises, etc. The department's pulmonologists also advise patients on vaccination against COVID-19, which is the most reliable method of preventing the development of complex forms of the disease.

An integral part of the department's clinical practice is the treatment of lung cancer, one of the most common and dangerous types of oncology. Lung cancer is characterized by nonspecific symptoms such as cough, weight loss, shortness of breath, general weakness, etc. Therefore, oncopathology is often detected at advanced stages, which complicates the treatment process. Typically, treatment for lung cancer is based on the following three components: surgery, systemic drug therapy, and radiation therapy. The department's doctors provide medical care to patients with lung cancer in collaboration with specialists from specialized clinics in Munich. An individual treatment regimen is developed at an interdisciplinary tumor board with the participation of pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, radiation therapists, radiologists, and other experts. The department's pulmonologists are responsible for chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. In addition, doctors provide palliative care to patients with terminal stages of lung cancer, which is aimed at alleviating symptoms and improving quality of life.

The department diagnoses and treats the following pulmonary diseases:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Bronchial asthma
• Coronavirus infection (COVID-19), including post-COVID syndrome
• Lung cancer
• Pneumonia
• Emphysema
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Pleurisy of various etiologies
• Tuberculosis
• Interstitial lung disease
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Other diseases

The department's range of medical services includes the following:

• Diagnostic services
  • Laboratory tests
    • RAST test and IgG antibody test
    • Blood gas test
    • Allergy skin tests: prick tests, scratch tests, patch tests, and intracutaneous tests
    • Express blood tests
  • Bronchoscopy (endoscopic examination)
  • Lung diffusion capacity testing
  • Pulmonary function testing: spirometry and body plethysmography
  • Pulse oximetry
  • Computed tomography of the chest
  • X-ray of the chest
  • Ultrasound examinations of the chest 
  • Lung scintigraphy
  • Combined method of computed tomography and positron emission tomography (PET/CT)
  • FeNO test (measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide)
  • Resting electrocardiography
  • Cardiorespiratory polygraphy
  • Cardiorespiratory polysomnography
  • Spiroergometry
• Therapeutic services
  • Drug therapy with pills, injection therapy, and infusion therapy
  • Inhalation therapy
  • Oxygen therapy
  • Pleural puncture
  • Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy for oncological diseases of the chest organs (lung cancer, pleural mesothelioma, etc.)
  • Palliative care for lung cancer, COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, and other pulmonary diseases
  • CPAP therapy
  • Allergen-specific immunotherapy (hyposensitization)
• Other medical services