A 59-year-old male with an implantable cardiac defibrillator, left ventricular assist device, and refractory ventricular tachycardia presented with hypoxemia due to a post-ablation iatrogenic atrial septal defect. Left ventricular assist devices generate pressure gradients that may exacerbate intracardiac shunts and can precipitate significant hypoxemia.
We present a unique case of a patient coming to our internal medicine clinic with intermittent diffuse lymphadenopathy and non-specific symptoms for the past eight years. Initially, the patient was thought to have carcinoma of unknown primary origin, given the abnormalities seen in her imaging. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was also dismissed, given that the patient had not responded to steroids with negative laboratory support. The patient was referred to several specialists, and only after a pulmonary biopsy was a non-caseating granuloma revealed after multiple prior failed biopsies. The patient was placed on infusion therapy and responded positively. This case demonstrates a challenging diagnosis and treatment which emphasizes the importance of considering alternative treatments if the initial therapy fails.
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