July 2015 Pulmonary Case of the Month: A Crazy Case

Lewis J. Wesselius, MD

Department of Pulmonary Medicine

Mayo Clinic Arizona

Scottsdale, AZ

History of Present Illness

A 23-year-old woman presented in 2008 at outside institution with dyspnea and diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. She required intubation. After a surgical lung biopsy, she was transferred to the Mayo Clinic Hospital for further care.

Past Medical History

She has had a history of progressive dyspnea for several months, otherwise negative 

Physical Examination

Vital signs are stable. SpO2 94% on FiO2 of 0.4. She is intubated and there is a chest tube in her right chest. Otherwise the physical examination is unremarkable.

Radiography

A thoracic CT scan was performed (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Representative images from the thoracic CT in lung windows.

Which of the following are present on the thoracic CT scan? (click on the correct answer to proceed to the second of five panels)

1. Diffuse ground-glass opacities
2. Interlobular septal thickening and intralobular reticular thickening
3. Right-sided pneumothorax
4. 1 and 3
5. All of the above

Reference as: Wesselius LJ. July 2015 pulmonary case of the month: a crazy case. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2015;11(1):3-10. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc079-15 PDF