Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0231807 (exertional dyspnea)
 3,402 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A 66-year-old man with dyspnea on exertion suffered a cardiac arrest and was referred to our hospital after emergency room intubation. Chest X-ray films detected no abnormalities. Blood gas analysis showed hypoxemia with normal A-aDO 2, and pulmonary function tests revealed combined ventilatory impairment. Chest fluoroscopy revealed weakness of diaphragmatic motion. No other abnormalities were found on initial examination. It was difficult to wean the patient off mechanical ventilation and identify the cause of alveolar hypoventilation. On the 60th hospital day, a neurological examination and electromyography disclosed fasciculation and denervation of the left biceps and pectoralis major muscle. These findings supported the diagnosis of motor neuron disease (MND). Although respiratory insufficiency as an initial symptom of MND is unusual, physicians should be aware of the possibility of MND in cases of alveolar hypoventilation of unknown etiology.
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PMID:[Motor neuron disease with respiratory insufficiency as primary manifestation]. 1039 Sep 73

Although amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) does not directly affect the lung parenchyma, it can jeopardize the mechanical function of the respiratory system. About one-quarter of ALS patients have had at least one prior misdiagnosis. Therefore, a high clinical suspicion, and careful correlation of physical examination and electromyography (EMG) are needed to reach the correct diagnosis. We report a 65-year-old man who presented with a progressive exertional dyspnea. He was subsequently found to have a diaphragmatic paralysis that was felt to be secondary to spinal cord stenosis. However, his subsequent EMG showed evidence of muscle fasciculation and he was ultimately diagnosed with ALS.
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PMID:Respiratory failure as the presenting manifestation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 2689 58