Open AccessA nontrivial differential diagnosis in COVID-19 pandemic: a case report and literary review of amiodarone-induced interstitial pneumonia
Author(s) -
Luigi Cappannoli,
Alessandro Telesca,
Roberto Scacciavillani,
Edoardo Petrolati,
Andrea Smargiassi,
Alessia Rabini,
Massimo Massetti,
Filippo Crea,
Nadia Aspromonte
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
future cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1744-8298
pISSN - 1479-6678
DOI - 10.2217/fca-2020-0168
Subject(s) - medicine , amiodarone , differential diagnosis , pulmonary toxicity , pneumonia , viral pneumonia , etiology , covid-19 , respiratory failure , intensive care medicine , cardiology , toxicity , pathology , atrial fibrillation , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Amiodarone is a drug commonly used to treat and prevent cardiac arrhythmias, but it is often associated with several adverse effects, the most serious of which is pulmonary toxicity. A 79-year-old man presented with respiratory failure due to interstitial pneumonia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The viral etiology was nevertheless excluded by repeated nasopharyngeal swabs and serological tests and the final diagnosis was amiodarone-induced organizing pneumonia. The clinical and computed tomography findings improved after amiodarone interruption and steroid therapy. Even during a pandemic, differential diagnosis should always be considered and pulmonary toxicity has to be taken into account in any patient taking amiodarone and who has new respiratory symptoms.