Carcinomatous lymphangitis mimicking pulmonary thromboembolism.
A 41-year-old woman was admitted with rapidly worsening dyspnea. Echocardiography disclosed interventricular septal flattening and a markedly decreased left ventricle, although left ventricular contraction remained normal. Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated slightly dilated main pulmonary arteries and fine reticulonodular densities in the lung. Examination of a transbronchial lung biopsy specimen revealed carcinomatous lymphangitis, and the patient died 7 days after admission. The clinical presentation of this patient was difficult to discriminate from that seen with pulmonary thromboembolism.
Koutaki
Y
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, Karatsu Red Cross Hospital, Saga, Japan.
Nii
T
T
Eguchi
K
K
Kousa
K
K
Niimura
H
H
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008205:Lymphangitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology