Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0034069 (pulmonary fibrosis)
 7,050 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A 44-year-old non-smoking patient with longstanding ankylosing spondylitis presented in marked respiratory distress with tachypnea, fever, cough, greenish sputum, night sweats, dyspnea and weight loss. Computed tomography showed traction bronchiectases and cavities associated with scarring. The findings were most pronounced in the upper lobes which contained multiple cavities up to 8 cm in diameter harboring fungus balls. The superior segment of the left lower lobe showed two additional cavities. Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacteria were ruled out. Antibiotic therapy resulted in transient improvement. Five months after this acute exacerbation the patient expired from massive haemoptysis. Pulmonary fibrosis is a rare manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis, may be complicated by infection and haemorrhage and determine the dismal prognosis of these patients.
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PMID:Case report and review of the literature. Fatal pulmonary complication in ankylosing spondylitis. 945 16

Coccidioidomycosis is endemic in the southwestern United States, resulting in 100,000 infections annually. The majority of these infections are asymptomatic or manifest as community-acquired pneumonia. In rare cases, patients can present with a mononuclear-cell predominant pyopneumothorax. The presence of spherules in tissue specimens is pathognomonic of this condition. A 72-year-old man born in Arizona with a heavy smoking history, presented with a 1-month history of weakness, night sweats, exertional dyspnea, and left pleuritic chest pain. The physical examination was remarkable for decreased breath sounds and dullness to percussion at the left lung base. His initial laboratory examination showed leukocytosis, eosinophilia, and elevated C-reactive protein. Computed tomography of the chest revealed a left lower lobe infiltrate, a cavity with air-crescent sign and hydropneumothorax. The pleural fluid was sampled and revealed an eosinophilic exudate with normal pH. Bacterial and fungal cultures of the pleural fluid were negative. Biopsy of the cavity wall showed chronic inflammation, fungal hyphae, and rare spherule-like structures. The surgical specimen culture grew Coccidioides immitis. Complement fixation for coccidioidomycosis performed on a serum sample was positive at a titer of 1:2 but a latex agglutinin test was negative. The patient was diagnosed with chronic fibrocavitary pneumonia with pyopneumothorax secondary to C. immitis infection and discharged on itraconazole for 1 year. Coccidioidomycosis can present in a variety of forms and should be part of the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with cavitation, air-crescent sign, eosinophilic pleural effusion, and hyphae and spherules on the tissue specimen. Chronic fibrocavitary pneumonia should be especially considered in patients who lived in endemic areas and have risk factors such as diabetes mellitus or pulmonary fibrosis related to smoking.
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PMID:Spherules, hyphae, and air-crescent sign. 1855 86

A 21-year-old male having a history of 4 years of working at a denim factory as a sandblaster was diagnosed with pulmonary silicosis and he was also an active smoker. Productive cough, dyspnea on effort, night sweats, and weight loss in a short period of time were his complaints. Chronic occupational exposure to tiny particles of silicon dioxide can stimulate parenchymal inflammation, collagen synthesis and, ultimately pulmonary fibrosis called silicosis. A typical history of exposure and chest X-ray is usually enough for diagnosis. No effective treatment exists except supportive care. Although chest X-ray of the patient revealed bilateral disseminated micronodular densities, a peripherally diffuse prominent FDG [(F-18)-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose] uptake in both lungs and faint FDG uptake in mediastinal lymph nodes demonstrating active inflammation regions were noted on PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan. This case was presented to show the active disease discriminated by FDG PET from chronic changes detected by radiological studies. FDG PET can provide additional information to CT regarding the diagnosis of acute silicosis and the rare accelerated silicosis.
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PMID:FDG PET findings in a case with acute pulmonary silicosis. 1986 35

This was an eight year (2000-2007) retrospective study of tuberculosis in patients admitted to the UMMC. A total of 131 cases were analyzed. Malays constituted the most cases, (43%), followed by Chinese (22%), Indians (17%) and others (18%). The majority of cases were within the 21-60 year old age group, which constituted 69.5% of the total. Males were more commonly affected (65%). Most cases were reported among Malaysians (83%). The majority of patients were unemployed (39%), followed by housewives (10%), laborers (9%), students (8%), shop assistants (7%), and other occupations (27%). The most common presenting complaints were prolonged productive cough, night sweats, fever, anorexia, weight loss (57%), hemoptysis (34%), and undifferentiated symptoms, such as prolonged diarrhea and dysphagia (9%). Sputum was positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in 89%, but only 69% of cases had abnormal chest radiographs. The majority of patients (65%) developed no complications. The most common complications were pleural effusion, pneumothorax and pulmonary fibrosis. The majority of patients (82%) suffered either from diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease or all 3 conditions. Regarding risk factors for tuberculosis, two were HIV positive and two were intravenous drug users. The majority of the patients (85%) did not complain of any side effects from their anti-tuberculosis treatment. Among those who did complain of side effects, the most common were nausea and vomiting (41%), drug induced hepatitis (37%), blurring of vision (11%) and skin rashes (11%). Two cases of death were reported.
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PMID:Tuberculosis: an eight year (2000-2007) retrospective study at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2057 21

Q fever is a bacterial infection affecting mainly the lungs, liver, and heart. It is found around the world and is caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. The bacteria affects sheep, goats, cattle, dogs, cats, birds, rodents, and ticks. Infected animals shed this bacteria in birth products, feces, milk, and urine. Humans usually get Q fever by breathing in contaminated droplets released by infected animals and drinking raw milk. People at highest risk for this infection are farmers, laboratory workers, sheep and dairy workers, and veterinarians. Chronic Q fever develops in people who have been infected for more than 6 months. It usually takes about 20 days after exposure to the bacteria for symptoms to occur. Most cases are mild, yet some severe cases have been reported. Symptoms of acute Q fever may include: chest pain with breathing, cough, fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pains, and shortness of breath. Symptoms of chronic Q fever may include chills, fatigue, night sweats, prolonged fever, and shortness of breath. Q fever is diagnosed with a blood antibody test. The main treatment for the disease is with antibiotics. For acute Q fever, doxycycline is recommended. For chronic Q fever, a combination of doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine is often used long term. Complications are cirrhosis, hepatitis, encephalitis, endocarditis, pericarditis, myocarditis, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, meningitis, and pneumonia. People at risk should always: carefully dispose of animal products that may be infected, disinfect any contaminated areas, and thoroughly wash their hands. Pasteurizing milk can also help prevent Q fever.
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PMID:Q Fever: an old but still a poorly understood disease. 2321 31