1/38. Bilateral pleuritis caused by legionella micdadei.A 58-year-old woman was hospitalized because of progressive respiratory distress. She had a history of myasthenia gravis and invasive thymoma. After thymectomy, she had been administered oral prednisolone and intrathoracic anti-cancer drugs postoperatively. Her chest radiograph revealed bilateral pleural effusions. legionella micdadei (L. micdadei) was isolated from the pleural effusions, and she was diagnosed as pleuritis caused by L. micdadei. She died despite intensive therapy with mechanical ventilation, drainage tube in the chest and intravenous erythromycin. Although only two cases of legionellosis caused by L. micdadei have been reported in japan, clinicians should be aware of L. micdadei as one of the candidates for infection in immunosuppressed hosts.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/38. Spontaneous subcapsular renal haemorrhage presenting with pleuritic chest pain.We present an unusual case of spontaneous renal subcapsular haematoma in a normal kidney presenting with pleuritic chest pain and mimicking pulmonary embolism. The literature suggests that the majority of these cases occur in association with renal tumours and that the diagnosis can best be made by computed tomographic scanning. Treatment is expectant but because of the high incidence of tumours, nephrectomy is usually necessary.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 38.229659353028keywords = chest pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/38. Serosal complications of single-agent low-dose methotrexate used in gestational trophoblastic diseases: first reported case of methotrexate-induced peritonitis.methotrexate (MTX) is a folate antagonist widely used both as an anticancer drug and as an immunosupressant. Administration of an 8-day methotrexate and folinic acid regime may be associated with pleuritic chest pain and pneumonitis. We have reviewed the toxicity seen in 168 consecutive patients treated with low-dose MTX for persistent trophoblastic disease. Twenty-five per cent of patients developed serosal symptoms, pleurisy was the commonest complaint. The majority of patients had mild to moderate symptoms which were controlled with simple analgesia and did not necessitate a change in treatment; 11.9% had severe symptoms which necessitated a change in treatment. One patient developed a pericardial effusion and a second patient developed severe reversible peritoneal irritation. The possible aetiology and pathophysiology of methotrexate-induced serosal toxicity is discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7.6459318706055keywords = chest pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/38. The postpericardiotomy syndrome as a cause of pleurisy in rehabilitation patients.Pleuritic chest pain in patients on a rehabilitation unit may be caused by several conditions. We report 2 cases of postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) as a cause of pleuritic pain. PPS occurs in 10% to 40% of patients who have coronary bypass or valve replacement surgery. The syndrome is characterized by fever, chest pain, and a pericardial or pleural friction rub. Its etiology is believed to be viral or immunologic. The syndrome can be a diagnostic challenge, and an increase in length of hospitalization because of it has been documented. Identified risk factors for PPS include age, use of prednisone, and a history of pericarditis. A higher incidence has been reported from May through July. Many patients undergo a battery of expensive procedures before PPS is diagnosed. The pain is sharp, associated with deep inspiration, and changes with position. Pleural effusions may be present and tend to occur bilaterally. Pericardial effusions are a documented complication. A pericardial or pleural rub may be present and is often transient. Serial auscultation is important. Laboratory work provides clues with a mild leukocytosis and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. However, this does not provide the definitive diagnosis. Cardiac enzymes are not reliably related to the syndrome. An electrocardiogram will show changes similar to those associated with pericarditis. The patient may have a fever, but it is rarely higher than 102.5 degrees F. Complications include pericardial effusions, arrhythmias, premature bypass graft closure, and cardiac tamponade. Treatment consists of a 10-day course of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 15.291863741211keywords = chest pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/38. mycobacterium avium complex pleuritis accompanied by diabetes mellitus.A 72-year-old woman with diabetic nephropathy was hospitalized with peripheral edema in the extremities and weight increase. After diuretics and human serum albumin administration, her condition improved. From the 15th day she had run a subfever and her breathing was diminished in the left lower lung field. A plain chest x-ray film showed pleural effusion over the left lung field. The fluid was exudative. Fluid cultures were negative. A tuberculin reaction was negative. polymerase chain reaction method disclosed mycobacterium avium complex, indicating rare pleuritis due to mycobacterium avium complex. Eighteen days after chemotherapy, pleural effusion disappeared. Although her hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were maintained from 6.0 to 6.5% over 4 years, urinary albumin excretion levels and serum creatinine levels increased, indicating deteriorating diabetic nephropathy. serum albumin levels remained low (3.3-3.6 g/dl). malnutrition, impaired cellular immunity and apparently abnormal microvascular circulation due to diabetes mellitus may consequently have induced pleuritis due to mycobacterium avium complex.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/38. Bilateral massive pleural effusions caused by uremic pleuritis.A 61-year-old man was started on hemodialysis in June 1998. Just after the commencement of dialysis, a chest x-ray film revealed bilateral pleural effusions. The effusions were hemorrhagic and exudative, and did not respond to dialysis. He was transferred to our university hospital on October 8,1998. Repeated thoracentesis demonstrated hemorrhagic and exudative characteristics without any diagnostic evidence. Pleural biopsies showed fibrosis and lymphocyte infiltration. The effusions were massive and did not respond to treatments including hemodialysis, repeatedly performed pleurodesis and the administration of antituberculous drugs. He died of respiratory failure on December 30, 1998. The autopsy confirmed bilateral fibrinous pleuritis without any underlying infections or malignancy. We diagnosed this case as uremic pleuritis from this clinical course and the autopsy findings. The clinical entity of uremic pleuritis was recognized as a complication of patients with hemodialysis in 1969. Uremic pleuritis generally responds to continued hemodialysis and the prognosis is usually good. However, some case reports demonstrated that surgical decortication is only indicated in cases with a severe clinical course. The clinical course of the present case was progressive and fatal. Uremic pleuritis is a serious complication of hemodialysis, which may lead to death.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/38. Fibrinous uremic pleuritis: a surgical entity.Fibrosing uremic pleuritis is a newly recognized late complication of uremia. Extreme incarceration of the lining and chest wall can occur with disabling restriction of pulmonary function. Decortication of the chest wall and the lung can be carried out safely with minimal bleeding and restoration of pulmonary function.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/38. Fibrothorax and severe lung restriction secondary to lupus pleuritis and its successful treatment by pleurectomy.Pleural disease is a common pulmonary manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that usually responds to corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents. In the present report, a new approach, pleural decortication, was used in a patient with medically refractory chronic pleuritis secondary to severe SLE. A 26-year-old woman with known SLE developed progressive dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain over several months. The other systemic manifestations of her lupus were controlled with cyclophosphamide and prednisone. A computed tomography scan revealed a persistent, small, loculated right pleural effusion; pleural thickening; and atelectasis of the right middle and lower lobes. Pulmonary function tests showed a severe restrictive defect. The patient was disabled by her severe dyspnea despite maximal medical therapy, and, therefore, surgery was considered. A right thoracotomy revealed entrapment of the right lung by dense visceral pleura. Decortication was performed. On pathology, pleuritis with vascular pleural adhesions was found. No lupus pneumonitis was noted. Postoperatively, a significant clinical improvement in dyspnea was evident within several weeks. On a 6 min walk test, the patient achieved 384 m with a Borg dyspnea scale rating of 2 compared with 220 m and a Borg dyspnea scale rating of 4 preoperatively. Her forced vital capacity improved from 24% predicted to 47% predicted, and her total lung capacity improved from 35% predicted to 54% predicted. Medical therapy of systemic lupus erythematosus has been proven to be effective in controlling pleuritis in most cases. However, in the event of refractory pleuritis or pleural thickening, decortication may be a viable alternative.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7.6459318706055keywords = chest pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/38. Pulmonary sarcoidosis with associated bloody pleurisy.A 64-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of non-productive cough and right chest pain. Chest radiographs showed bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, diffuse granular nodules and right pleural effusion. Serum angiotensin-II-converting enzyme and lysozyme levels were elevated. Since thoracentesis indicated bloody pleurisy, video-assisted thoracoscopy was performed and revealed multiple white nodules on both the visceral and parietal pleura. Resected pleural biopsy specimens showed non-caseous granulomas. Furthermore, some nodules were observed to compress and involve small vessels and capillaries. The bloody pleurisy was assumed to have been derived from the rupture of small vessels that had been compressed and affected by the granuloma with sarcoidosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7.6459318706055keywords = chest pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/38. pneumocystis carinii pneumonia with pleurisy, platypnoea and orthodeoxia.We present a patient who collapsed with chest pain and dyspnoea on a transatlantic flight. She was found to have pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and human immunodeficiency virus infection. Platypnoea and orthodeoxia, which have not been previously reported in association with PCP, were major features of her illness. The PCP predominantly affected her lung bases and it is likely that gravity increased intrapulmonary blood flow through poorly ventilated lung bases with failure of pulmonary vasoconstriction to increase upper zone perfusion, exacerbating desaturation on sitting up. The partial dna sequence of the infecting P carinii was identical to previously described isolates.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7.6459318706055keywords = chest pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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