title: Amiodarone-induced loculated pleural effusion without pulmonary parenchymal involvement: A case report and literature review.
abstract: Amiodarone is an extremely effective antiarrhythmic drug that is known to cause many adverse effects such as pulmonary, thyroid, and liver toxicities. Of these, pulmonary toxicity is most serious. Pulmonary toxicity can present as interstitial pneumonitis, organizing pneumonia, pulmonary nodules and masses, and very rarely pleural effusions. We present a case of a 73-year-old male who presented with progressive exertional dyspnea, nonproductive cough, generalized fatigue, and weakness. He was found to have multiorgan toxicity secondary to long-term treatment with high doses of amiodarone. This case illustrates that amiodarone may cause toxicity involving multiple organs simultaneously in patients receiving long-term therapy and represents the first reported case of amiodarone-induced loculated pleural effusion without associated lung parenchymal involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St. Michael's Medical Center, An Affiliate of New York Medical College, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Amer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hawatmeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St. Michael's Medical Center, An Affiliate of New York Medical College, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thawabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St. Michael's Medical Center, An Affiliate of New York Medical College, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jmeian
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St. Michael's Medical Center, An Affiliate of New York Medical College, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shaaban
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, St. Michael's Medical Center, An Affiliate of New York Medical College, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Fayez
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shamoon
keywords: Amiodarone; pleural effusion; pulmonary toxicity