A hitherto unreported pulmonary complication in an IV heroin user.
IV heroin use is associated with several well-described complications, including noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, aspiration pneumonitis, ARDS, pneumonia, lung abscess, septic pulmonary emboli, and atelectasis. Foreign-body granulomatosis may develop when drug users inject solutions containing crushed oral tablets in which talc is used as filler and can be complicated by pulmonary fibrosis. The effects are distinct from pulmonary edema, which may occur acutely with heroin injection. We describe the case of a young female patient who was an IV heroin user who also smoked cigarettes, and presented with progressive dyspnea, hypoxia, and bilateral lung infiltrates. The final pathologic diagnosis in this case was one that had not been previously reported in IV heroin users.
Bishay
Ayman
A
Department of Internal Medicine, New York Methodist Hospital, Internal Medicine/Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, 506 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA. aymanbishay@yahoo.com
Amchentsev
Alexey
A
Saleh
Anthony
A
Patel
Neelam
N
Travis
William
W
Raoof
Suhail
S
D000328:Adult; D018549:Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed