title: Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome in patients presenting enlarged aortic root: case report and literature review.
abstract: We describe herein a case of a patient who, when in orthostatic positions, had severe hypoxemia and ventilatory dysfunction. Although the severity of symptoms required hospitalization in an intensive care setting, the initial tests only identified the presence of enlarged aortic root, which did not explain the condition. The association of these events with an unusual etiology, namely intracardiac shunt, characterized the diagnosis of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome. The literature review shows that, with advancing research methods, there was a progressive increase in the identification of this condition, and this association should be part of the differential diagnosis of dyspnea in patients with enlarged aortic root.
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Adulto, Hospital Ernesto Dornelles, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Raquel da Silva
authors.initials: Rda S
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Adulto, Hospital Ernesto Dornelles, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia Martins
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgia Cardiovascular, Hospital Ernesto Dornelles, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Cúrcio
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gib
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Adulto, Hospital Ernesto Dornelles, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Felippe Leopoldo
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Dexheimer Neto
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D003422:Critical Care; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011187:Posture; D012720:Severity of Illness Index