Open AccessAn unusual masquerade of community acquired pneumonia: Left-side unilateral pulmonary edema
Author(s) -
Akashdeep Singh,
GS Wander
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
lung india
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.457
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 0974-598X
pISSN - 0970-2113
DOI - 10.4103/0970-2113.120617
Subject(s) - medicine , pulmonary edema , pneumonia , heart failure , pulmonary embolism , lung , respiratory failure , edema , pneumonitis , dry cough , radiology , intensive care medicine , surgery , cardiology
The diagnosis of pneumonia is clinical, based on the history of lower respiratory tract symptoms, physical, and/or radiographic signs of consolidation. Several diseases such as congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism, and chemical pneumonitis may present with similar symptoms, signs, and chest radiographs, thus delaying the definitive diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment. Unilateral pulmonary edema (UPE) is a rare clinical entity that is often misdiagnosed at first as a focal lung disease. We have presented an unusual case of left-sided UPE in a 76-year-old man who developed acute heart failure resulting from dietary and pharmacological noncompliance. The patient was successfully managed with decongestive therapy and non-invasive mechanical ventilation.