A 60-Year-Old Woman With Acute Chest Pain and Bilateral Pleural and Pericardial Effusions

Chest. 2019 Jun;155(6):e167-e170. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2019.01.006.

Abstract

A 60-year-old woman presented with acute-onset, progressively worsening shortness of breath and pleuritic chest pain for 3 days. She also complained of a dry cough, but no fever or chills. There was no history of swelling of the feet; nor was there a history of nausea or diarrhea. She was a lifelong nonsmoker and had no history of recent travel or sick contacts. Her medical history included hypertension and ulcerative colitis. The ulcerative colitis was in remission and she had not been taking medications for this for over 7 years. Her home medications included alendronate, amlodipine, aspirin, atenolol, and vitamin D3 supplements. She had no allergies.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Chest Pain* / diagnosis
  • Chest Pain* / etiology
  • Colitis, Ulcerative* / complications
  • Colitis, Ulcerative* / diagnosis
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Dyspnea* / diagnosis
  • Dyspnea* / etiology
  • Echocardiography / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Acuity
  • Pericardial Effusion* / diagnostic imaging
  • Pericardial Effusion* / etiology
  • Pericardial Effusion* / physiopathology
  • Pericardial Effusion* / therapy
  • Pleural Effusion* / diagnostic imaging
  • Pleural Effusion* / etiology
  • Pleural Effusion* / physiopathology
  • Pleural Effusion* / therapy
  • Serositis / diagnosis
  • Serositis / etiology
  • Thoracentesis / methods
  • Thorax / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents