title: A case of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis with cardiac constriction secondary to severe adjacent pleural involvement.
abstract: Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disorder of uncertain etiology and pathogenesis that is characterized by tiny calcium phosphate depositions in lung alveoli. Ectopic organ involvement has been reported infrequently. We hereby present a patient with PAM complicated by severe pleural calcification that has caused a constrictive cardiac physiology, a heretofore unknown occurrence/association. Based on our observations in this particular case, we suggest that a non-invasive echocardiographic examination may be well worth in the investigation of PAM patients in whom symptom onset at an early age has occurred, particularly if severe pleural calcification adjacent to the heart is present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. drfehmikacmaz@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Fehmi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kacmaz
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alyan
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celenk
authors.forename: Ozcan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turkvatan
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Erdogan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ilkay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D020347:Lithiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000473:pathology*