title: Basilar hyperlucency in a patient with emphysema due to hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome.
abstract: Disproportionate emphysematous involvement of the lung bases, compared with the apices, sometimes called basilar hyperlucency, is an unusual radiographic pattern that has been reported primarily in patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, but also in individuals with emphysema caused by intravenous injection of methylphenidate. We present a patient with emphysema associated with hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome and whose chest radiograph demonstrated basilar hyperlucency. To the extent that basilar hyperlucency has not been well recognized as a feature of hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome, this report extends the spectrum of causes of this unusual radiographic pattern of emphysema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, A90, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland OH 44195, USA. ghamraz@ccf.org
authors.forename: Ziad
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ghamra
authors.forename: James K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Stoller
mesh_terms: D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000172:deficiency*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019568:Lung, Hyperlucent / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014581:Urticaria / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D003165:Complement System Proteins