Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0010200 (cough)
 23,843 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Bronchiectasis, or the irreversible dilatation of bronchi, can present with a host of nonspecific clinical symptoms, including hemoptysis, cough, and hypoxia. The radiologist, then, can play an important role in its detection and characterization. Bronchiectasis must be differentiated from motion artifact and transient bronchial dilatation in acute lung disease. When diagnosed, a logical approach may allow for proper triage of the patient to prevent progression of disease. The radiologic approach usually begins with CT, which is fast and accurate. The diagnostic approach should be based on the mechanisms of development of bronchiectasis (bronchial wall damage, endobronchial obstruction, and traction) and the location. Once an endobronchial lesion or adjacent fibrosis is excluded, location of the abnormality can be used to help narrow the differential diagnosis. When the bronchiectasis is upper lobe predominant, CF should first be considered but occasionally MAC infection may present with this finding. When the bronchiectasis is mid-upper lobe, then ABPA or chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis might lead the list of diagnoses. Lower lobe bronchiectasis is usually the sequela of recurrent infection and conditions that predispose to recurrent infections, including Mounier-Kuhn, hypogammaglobulinemia, PCD, and recurrent infections. By using this approach, the radiologist can remain an integral part of the pulmonary team.
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PMID:Bronchiectasis. 1924 57

A 65 year old female, known asthmatic on steroids intermittently, with no other co-morbidity presented with fever, breathlessness and cough with mucoid expectoration of ten days duration with bilateral crepts, went for Type II respiratory failure and was intubated followed by tracheostomy in view of prolonged ventilator support. In spite of high end antibiotics as per sputum culture sensitivity, weaning off the ventilator was not possible. Blood investigations revealed leucocytosis with neutrophilic predominance and IgE levels were within normal limits. CT chest showed multiple patchy consolidations of the right upper, middle and lower lobes with ground glass appearance and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes. Work up for retrovirus, tuberculosis and Sputum for KOH mount was negative. No evidence of sputum and blood eosinophilia. BAL sample grew Curvularia species. Fluconazole 150mg OD was added. Serial imaging of the chest showed resolution of the consolidation and was weaned off the ventilator and was comfortable on room air. Pneumonia caused by Curvularia, in an immune competent patient is very rare. Even in broncho pulmonary involvement these fungi usually occur in allergic conditions as in ABPA than appearing as a solitary cause for lung infection. But if diagnosed and treated early, will respond well to triazoles. This case report highlights a unilateral fungal pneumonia with dramatic clinical improvement post treatment once the rare causative organism was identified.
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PMID:An unusual cause of fungal pneumonia. 2601 53