Chest
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Pressure-dependent pneumothorax is a common clinical event, often occurring after pleural drainage in patients with visceral pleural restriction, partial lung resection, or lobar atelectasis from bronchoscopic lung volume reduction or an endobronchial obstruction. This type of pneumothorax and air leak is clinically inconsequential. Failure to appreciate the benign nature of such air leaks may result in unnecessary pleural procedures or prolonged hospital stay. ⋯ A pressure-dependent pneumothorax occurs during pleural drainage in patients with lung-thoracic cavity shape/size mismatch. It is caused by an air leak related to a pressure gradient between the subpleural lung parenchyma and the pleural space. Pressure-dependent pneumothorax and air leak do not need any further pleural interventions.
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A 71-year-old woman sought treatment for a nonproductive cough. The patient had experienced no episodes of hemoptysis or shortness of breath. Her illness history included lumbago and dry mouth. ⋯ Autoantibody screening revealed positive antinuclear antibody findings with a titer of speckled and nucleolar, and anti-Ro/SSA antibodies were elevated at 240 U/mL (normal range, < 7.0 U/mL). Chest CT scan imaging showed a slight infiltrative shadow of the bilateral lower lobes. Because the patient was suspected to have interstitial pneumonia resulting from Sjögren disease, we decided to perform fiber optic bronchoscopy with BAL for evaluation of interstitial lung disease.
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A 72-year-old woman with a history of adenocarcinoma of the lung, for which she was receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy with osimertinib, was admitted to the ED because of clinical deterioration with extreme fatigue and fever. She was already receiving antibiotic therapy initiated by her general practitioner because of symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. She was febrile (38.5 °C) with normal laboratory values except for leukocytosis and elevated C-reactive protein. ⋯ Clinically, there were no signs of meningitis. No sedative medications that would explain her confusion were given except for low-dose opioid analgesics. On day 4 after hospitalization, she was transferred to the shock room for immediate stabilization and diagnostics because of profound encephalopathy and increasing oxygen requirements.