1/120. mucoepidermoid tumor of trachea.Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea is rare. Its occurence in a 14-year-old boy is reported here. This case illustrates the typical course of tracheal tumors with clinical manifestations of cough, wheezing, and hemoptysis, the intially reported normal chest roentgenogram, and the common failure to diagnose tracheal tumor for several months. Early use of tomographic studies and bronchoscopic examination in any person with recent onset of airway obstruction unresponsive to bronchodilator therapy is recommended.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/120. Tourette's syndrome mimicking asthma.Tourette's syndrome is a neurological disorder consisting of chronic motor tics and involuntary vocalizations. Some of these vocalizations include coughing, grunting, and wheezing. We report two adolescents with a history of chronic coughing who presented for further evaluation of previously diagnosed asthma. A careful history suggested that Tourette's syndrome might be responsible for the patients' symptoms. neurology evaluation confirmed the correct diagnosis of Tourette's syndrome for both patients. Treatment specific for this disease led to ablation of all symptoms. A history of repetitive coughing in adolescents may be the presenting symptom of Tourette's syndrome, thereby mimicking cough-equivalent asthma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/120. Eosinophilic pneumonia with eosinophilic gastroenteritis.A 48-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with cough, fever and dysphagia. He had a past history of bronchial asthma and surgery for nasal polyp. Chest radiograph and computed tomography showed atelectasis in the right lower field and infiltrative shadow in the left lower field and overall thickening of the esophageal wall. Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) specimens revealed infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes under the bronchial mucosa. gastrointestinal tract biopsy specimens showed submucosal infiltration of eosinophils. These findings led to a definite diagnosis of eosinophilic pneumonia associated with eosinophilic gastroenteritis, a disease which has been rarely reported.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/120. A smoker with paroxysmal dyspnea.A 40-year-old woman who had experienced recurring episodes of dyspnea for 28 years presented to the emergency department with increasing shortness of breath, wheezing, and dry cough of three days' duration. She had been seen at another hospital shortly after symptoms began but left against medical advice. She did not have fever, chills, or other symptoms of upper respiratory infection.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/120. bronchiectasis: the 'other' obstructive lung disease.bronchiectasis belongs to the family of chronic obstructive lung diseases, even though it is much less common than asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema. Clinical features of these entities overlap significantly. The triad of chronic cough, sputum production, and hemoptysis always should bring bronchiectasis to mind as a possible cause. Chronic airway inflammation leads to bronchial dilation and destruction, resulting in recurrent sputum overproduction and pneumonitis. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, any potential predisposing conditions should be aggressively sought. The relapsing nature of bronchiectasis can be controlled with antibiotics, chest physiotherapy, inhaled bronchodilators, proper hydration, and good nutrition. In rare circumstances, surgical resection or bilateral lung transplantation may be the only option available for improving quality of life. prognosis is generally good but varies with the underlying syndrome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/120. vocal cord dysfunction in a child.vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) involves paradoxical adduction of the vocal cord during the respiratory cycle. This usually occurs during inspiration, but can also be seen in expiration. Vocal cord appositioning produces airflow obstruction sufficient to cause wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. These symptoms often imitate the respiratory alterations of asthma, thus leading to inappropriate treatment; intubation or tracheotomy may prove necessary. An 11-year-old girl was admitted with intractable dyspnea. She had been diagnosed with atopic asthma, although she failed to respond to an increase in antiasthma medication, including high-dose oral steroids. Flow-volume loops were abnormal, with evidence of variable extrathoracic airway obstruction, manifested as a flat inspiratory loop. No structural abnormalities were seen with either computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Fibroscopy revealed paradoxical adduction of the vocal cords during the respiratory cycle, no obstructive disorder being observed. After the diagnosis of VCD, the clinical manifestations resolved with psychiatric treatment. Adduction was not demonstrable at repeat fibroscopy after treatment. VCD may simulate bronchial asthma; it may also be associated with that disorder, thus masking the diagnosis. It should be suspected in patients with recurrent wheezing who fail to respond to usual asthma treatment. An early diagnosis avoids unnecessary aggressive management. Treatment should consist of respiratory and phonatory exercises; psychotherapy may be useful.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/120. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis due to aspergillus niger without bronchial asthma.A 65-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a dry cough and pulmonary infiltrates. Chest radiograph and CT revealed mucoid impaction and consolidations. Peripheral blood eosinophilia and elevated serum IgE were observed. aspergillus niger was cultured repeatedly from her sputum, but A. fumigatus was not detected. Immediate skin test and specific IgE (RAST) to Aspergillus antigen were positive. Precipitating antibodies were confirmed against A. niger antigen, but not against A. fumigatus antigen. She had no asthmatic symptoms, and showed no bronchial hyperreactivity to methacholine. Thus, this case was diagnosed as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) without bronchial asthma due to A. niger, an organism rarely found in ABPA. The administration of prednisone improved the symptoms and corrected the abnormal laboratory findings.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/120. asthma due to inhaled chemical agents--the macrolide antibiotic spiramycin.One year after starting work in the pharmaceutical industry a 35-year-old non-atopic maintenance engineer developed attacks of sneezing, coughing and breathlessness. These occurred at home during the evening and early morning, never at work during the day. His employment involved contact with a wide variety of chemical agents including the macrolide antibiotic spiramycin. inhalation challenge tests carried out in hospital with gradually increasing quantities of spiramycin reproduced his symptoms and led to the development of late asthmatic reactions, during which the FEV1 fell by 25% and the FEV1/FVC ratio by 15%. No change occurred in the single breath CO transfer factor nor were crepitations heard over the lung fields which remained normal on chest X-ray. The patient showed positive immediate skin prick tests to spiramycin and developed blood eosinophilia during the late asthma attacks. inhalation of sodium cromoglycate either before, or before and hourly after the provocation challenge for 6 hr, failed to prevent the late asthma, although its onset was further delayed. On leaving the pharmaceutical industry the patient's symptoms improved but did not finally clear until his wife, who had worked in a clerical capacity in the same factory also ceased her employment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/120. Tracheal neurilemmoma mimicking bronchial asthma--a dilemma of difficult diagnosis: case report.Tracheal tumors are often overlooked as a cause of pulmonary symptoms until they reach an advanced state. They are often presented with a prolonged cough and shortness of breath. Most tracheal tumors in adults are cancerous (80% to 90%). Benign tracheal tumors are rare in adult patients. A case history is presented of a 19-year-old patient with a rare tracheal neurilemmoma. He was treated as having bronchial asthma initially, but his signs and symptoms did not improve with traditional therapy. The possibility of the presence of an upper airway obstruction was not raised until the typical "inspiratory tubular sound" was heard. Flow-volume loop testing, bronchoscopy, and three-dimensional computed tomography (3-D CT) confirmed the diagnosis of upper airway obstruction caused by a tracheal tumor. Therefore, surgical intervention rather than bronchoscopic removal was performed without difficulty. The patient was leading a stable life 8 months after a surgical resection. The presence of an upper airway obstruction can be proven by flow-volume loop testing and 3-D CT. Further pathologic confirmation can be accomplished by bronchoscopy. High suspicion of an upper airway obstruction such as a tracheal lesion should be raised when bronchial asthma patients fail to respond to conventional treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/120. Development of irreversible airflow obstruction in a patient with eosinophilic bronchitis without asthma.Eosinophilic bronchitis is a recently described condition presenting with chronic cough and sputum eosinophilia without the abnormalities of airway function seen in asthma. The patient, a 48-yr-old male who had never smoked, presented with an isolated chronic cough. He had normal spirometric values, peak flow variability and airway responsiveness, but an induced sputum eosinophil count of 33% (normal <1%). Although his cough improved with inhaled corticosteroids the sputum eosinophilia persisted. Over 2 yrs he developed airflow obstruction, which did not improve following nebulized bronchodilators and a 2-week course of prednisolone 30 mg once daily sufficient to return the sputum eosinophilia to normal (0.5%). It is suggested that the progressive irreversible airflow obstruction was due to persistent structural change to the airway secondary to eosinophilic airway inflammation, and it is further speculated that eosinophilic bronchitis may be a prelude to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in some patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = cough (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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