title: Pulmonary hypertension and acute pulmonary edema in a 23-year-old male with a history of an upper respiratory tract infection.
abstract: The pathophysiology of upper-airway obstruction (UAO) is complex. Possible causes of UAO that may lead to acute respiratory failure, are as follows: infections like acute epiglottitis and croup, obstructing tumors in the base of the tongue, larynx or hypopharynx, aspirated food or liquid contents, obesity and anatomical variations. Management changes according to the pathogenesis of the disorder. In patients with severe carbon dioxide retention or apnea, emergency endotracheal intubation must be carried out. Hereby, we describe a 23-year-old patient with susceptible upper-airway anatomy and UAO occurred following an upper respiratory infection and complicated with pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary edema. Our patient seems to be one of the complicated UAO cases, with an unusual but critical clinical presentation, evaluated in a wide spectrum and nicely returned to life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. fusunulger@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A Füsun
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ulger
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Akin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Turan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Acican
authors.forename: Oznur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akkoca
authors.forename: Gülseren
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karabiyikoğlu
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011859:Radiography; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging