The Sézary syndrome with rapid pulmonary dissemination.
The authors report the case of a patient with long-standing Sézary syndrome who developed the acute onset of bilateral pulmonary infiltration, severe hypoxemia, and hypotension. Initial diagnostic considerations centered around infection, but an open-lung biopsy revealed "mycosis fungoides" without evidence of an infectious process. The patient showed striking improvement when given vincristine and cyclophosphamide, but ultimately died 3 months later of a nonpulmonary catheter-related infection. This rare clinical association stresses the value of open lung biopsy as a diagnostic measure even in desperately ill individuals.
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D012751:Sezary Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology