June 2018 Pulmonary Case of the Month

Lewis J. Wesselius, MD

Department of Pulmonary Medicine

Mayo Clinic Arizona

Scottsdale, AZ USA

History of Present Illness

The patient is a 53-year-old man who presented in January 2018 for a second opinion on interstitial lung disease first diagnosed in 2011. He lives in Los Angeles and had one year of increasing dyspnea on exertion prior to diagnosis. He had an outside surgical lung biopsy and was treated with prednisone, then started on azathioprine and the prednisone tapered. He was followed regularly and had limited progression over next 7 years.  However, recently he had increasing shortness of breath.

Past Medical History, Social History, Family History

He has no significant past medical history. He is a nonsmoker and denies any significant occupational exposures.

Physical Examination

Physical examination was unremarkable without rales or clubbing.

Which of the following should be obtained at this time? (Click on the correct answer to proceed to the second of five pages)

1. Prior chest x-rays, CT scans, pulmonary function testing and lung biopsy
2. Repeat CT scan, pulmonary function testing
3. Rheumatological serologies
4. 1 and 3
5. All of the above

Cite as: Wesselius LJ. June 2018 pulmonary case of the month. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2018;16(6):296-303. doi: https://doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc063-18 PDF