Crosstalk between the thoracic physician and the surgeon: perspectives on pulmonary infections, malignancy and chest surgery

This special edition entitled “Crosstalk between the thoracic physician and the surgeon: perspectives on pulmonary infections, malignancy and chest surgery” is about unifying interaction, collaboration, concepts and ideas at several levels. With the burgeoning increase in pulmonary infections and wider accessibility to cardiothoracic services in developing countries, we thought it appropriate to facilitate greater interaction between the thoracic physician and surgeon in different settings. Furthermore, at a different level given that diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and COPD remain major problems in much of the developing world, further understanding about the surgical aspects of these diseases are warranted.