Open AccessCocaine-induced pulmonary complications: A diagnosis of waiting and watching
Author(s) -
Rohit Munagala,
Varsha Chiruvella,
Darko Pucar,
Jayanth Keshavamurthy
Publication year - 2021
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/lungindia.lungindia_164_21
Subject(s) - medicine , diffuse alveolar hemorrhage , malignancy , lung , eosinophilia , lesion , pulmonary edema , edema , pulmonary hemorrhage , radiology , pathology , surgery
Pulmonary complications of cocaine among users are common. Manifestations include lung congestion, intra-alveolar edema, and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH). Direct cellular toxicity, eosinophilia, barotrauma, and vasoactive effects of cocaine are believed to induce DAH. We present a rare case of cocaine-associated focal alveolar hemorrhage mimicking malignancy on imaging. Initially contemplated biopsy was avoided based on rapid growth of concerning lung lesion, with subsequent near resolution on follow-up. This case illustrates the importance of epidemiologic and temporal multimodality correlation when evaluating indeterminate lung lesions.