title: Phantom tumor of the lung: localized interlobar effusion in congestive heart failure.
abstract: Localized interlobar effusions in congestive heart failure (phantom or vanishing lung tumor/s) is/are uncommon but well known entities. An 83-year-old man presented with shortness of breath, swollen legs, and dry cough enduring five days. Chest-X-ray (CXR) revealed massive sharply demarked round/oval homogeneous dense shadow 10 × 7 cm in size in the right inferior lobe. The treatment with the loop diuretics and fluid intake reduction resulted in complete resolution of the observed round/oval tumor-like image on the control CXR three days later. Radiologic appearance of such a mass-like configuration in patients with congestive heart failure demands correction of the underlying heart condition before further diagnostic investigation is performed to avoid unnecessary, expensive, and possibly harmful diagnostic and treatment errors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Centre Split, Spinciceva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Mislav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lozo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University Hospital Centre Split, Spinciceva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Emilija
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lozo Vukovac
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University Hospital Centre Split, Spinciceva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ivancevic
authors.affiliation: University of Split School of Medicine, Soltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pletikosic