Severe upper airway obstruction in essential tremor presenting as asthma.
A 57 year old man with essential tremor (ET) presented with a 2 year history of paroxysmal attacks of dyspnoea and wheezing. He had been diagnosed as having bronchial asthma, and propanolol was excluded from his treatment. Flow-volume loops showed abrupt changes in maximum flows, with poor reproducibility. A diagnosis of functional upper airway obstruction was confirmed by fibreoptic bronchoscopy. The importance of establishing the precise diagnosis, in order to provide appropriate treatment, is emphasized.
Izquierdo-Alonso
J L
JL
Pneumology Department, Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Madrid, Spain.
Martínez-Martín
P
P
Juretschke-Moragues
M A
MA
Serrano-Iglesias
J A
JA
D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014202:Tremor / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology