Respiratory medicine case reports
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2021
Case ReportsShine like gold and sparkle like glitter: Three cases of lipoid pneumonia.
Lipoid pneumonia (LP) is an unwonted, mostly asymptomatic entity which has no classical radiological appearance. It can be endogenous or exogenous depending upon the type of exposure or underlying milieu. It simulates a number of infective and malignant respiratory conditions and can go undiagnosed or delayed leading to morbidity and mortality. ⋯ LP, owing to its nonspecific clinical presentation and radiographic signs, needs a high index of suspicion, and a detailed clinical history for accurate diagnosis. Corroboration of lipid laden alveolar macrophages in BAL is the crux to the diagnosis. Hence, clinicians should be cognizant of this condition and rule out LP in cases of non-resolving pneumonia in an appropriate clinical context.
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2021
Case ReportsSecondary organizing pneumonia after coronavirus disease 2019: Two cases.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been reported to induce persistent symptoms even after an acute phase. However, the pathophysiology and treatment of this condition have been unclear. We report two patients who recovered from COVID-19, but presented persistent respiratory symptoms. ⋯ Their symptoms, oxygenations, radiologic findings, and pulmonary functions rapidly improved after the treatment of corticosteroids. The two cases showed that secondary organizing pneumonia may be a cause of persistent respiratory failure after COVID-19. In this condition, corticosteroids may be effective.
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2021
Case ReportsAsymptomatic necrotizing myositis in a young male with progressive interstitial lung disease.
Necrotizing autoimmune myopathy (NAM) is a rare inflammatory process characterized by bilateral proximal muscle weakness and elevated creatinine kinase levels. It is one of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. It can be associated with anti-signal recognition particle (SRP) antibody which is commonly seen in middle-aged females. ⋯ We present a 29 year old male with asymptomatic NAM who presented with a combination of NSIP and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). His PAH was responsive to oral vasodilator therapy however his interstitial lung disease (ILD) rapidly progressed to usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) requiring lung transplantation. This case highlights 1) an extremely rare presentation of rapidly progressive NAM associated ILD in a young man, in which pulmonary manifestations occurred in the absence of myopathy, 2) The importance of doing a complete work up for interstitial lung disease, including diligent examination for myopathic features and obtaining CK levels, 3) Identifying that interstitial lung diseases can progress despite control of the underlying etiology with corticosteroids and immunosuppressives, 4) Recognition of pre capillary PAH in patients with disproportionally elevated pressures relative to their pulmonary findings, 5) The first report of treatment responsive pulmonary vascular disease associated with NAM, and 6) The importance of early lung transplantation evaluation.
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2020
Case ReportsSuccessful recovery from critical COVID-19 pneumonia with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A case report.
A public health emergency of current international concern is the outbreak of a severe respiratory illness, that is, coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The disease initially started in Wuhan, China, and it rapidly spread to most regions of the world. ⋯ We describe the patient's clinical course, from mild symptoms at the time of illness onset to symptoms of severe pneumonia as the illness progressed. We provide important information regarding our clinical experience for further understanding of management discrepancies, as treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or pharmacotherapy (e.g., antivirals, immunomodulators, and glucocorticoids) is often dependent on the severity of symptoms.
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2020
Case ReportsConfirmed E-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI) with lung biopsy; A case report and literature review.
E-cigarette or vaping has become an increasingly popular alternative to smoking tobacco. In September 2019 multiple cases of confirmed E-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury were published. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the pathologic mechanism of this condition. ⋯ The underlying pathophysiological mechanism in E-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury is most likely acute lung injury related to direct inhalant-mediated parenchymal inflammation.