Common radiological findings of COVID -19 infection include bilateral ground-glass opacities in lower lobes with a peripheral distribution. Pleural effusion is considered a rare manifestation of COVID -19 infection. We present a 52 years old patient with a three-week history of right-sided pleuritic chest pain, fever, and dyspnea. Laboratory investigations revealed high C -reactive protein and ferritin levels and a positive COVID-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab. Chest X-ray and Computed tomography (CT) identified a moderate right-sided pleural effusion, which was exudative with mixed cellularity and high Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Histopathology of thoracoscopic pleural biopsy didn't reveal granulomas, malignancy, or any microbiological growth. We postulate that having ruled out any other cause the effusion was likely related to the Covid-19 infection. Our case highlights that COVID-19 can present with isolated pleural effusions, therefore it should be kept as an etiology of effusions especially if other possible causes have been ruled out.
Patient: Male, 43-year-old Final Diagnosis: Rifampicin-induced pneumonitis Symptoms: Dyspnea • fatigue • fever Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Bronchoalveolar lavage • bronchoscopy • CT scan • lung biopsy Specialty: Pulmonology Objective: Rare disease Background: Rifampicin-induced pneumonitis is an infrequent occurrence, with only a few cases reported in the literature. Furthermore, this condition constitutes a diagnostic challenge, particularly in the era of COVID-19 infection. Here, we report a case of rifampicin-induced pneumonitis with clinical, imaging, and histological features of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which required severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing to exclude a diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Case Report: A 43-year-old man on anti-TB treatment for TB meningitis developed new-onset fever, fatigue, hypoxemic respiratory failure, and bilateral pulmonary opacities. His clinical, chest X-ray, and CT thorax findings of ARDS were similar to both rifampicin-induced pneumonitis and severe COVID-19 pneumonia. However, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing from a nasopharyngeal swab and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) via the GeneXpert system was negative for SARS-CoV-2. A detailed workup, including lung biopsy, revealed drug-induced pneumonitis as the cause of his presentation. His pneumonitis improved after discontinuation of rifampicin and recurred following the rifampicin challenge. Conclusions: This case highlights the importance of early, rapid, and accurate testing for SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic for patients presenting with acute respiratory symptoms, so that accurate diagnosis and early patient management are not delayed for patients with treatable causes of acute and severe lung diseases. Timely identification of rifampicin-induced pneumonitis via a high clinical suspicion, detailed workup, and histopathological analysis is required to avoid permanent damage to the lungs.
With the emergence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, we witnessed a higher incidence of disseminated and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The infection sites commonly include lymph nodes, pleura, and osteoarticular areas, although any organ can be involved. Given the atypical presentation of the extrapulmonary disease, it poses a significant diagnostic challenge for the physicians; therefore, a high index of suspicion should be maintained, particularly where tuberculosis is endemic. Here we present a case of isolated chest wall tuberculosis in an immunocompetent patient.
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