Significance of NT-pro-BNP in acute exacerbation of COPD patients without underlying left ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the N-terminal fragment of pro-BNP (NT-pro-BNP) are established biomarkers of heart failure. Increased levels of natriuretic peptide (NP) have been associated with poor outcomes in acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD); however, most studies did not address the conditions that can also increase NT-pro-BNP levels. We aimed to determine if NT-pro-BNP levels correlate with outcomes of AECOPD in patients without heart failure and other conditions that can affect NT-pro-BNP levels. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study in patients hospitalized for AECOPD with available NT-pro-BNP levels and normal left ventricular ejection fraction. We compared patients with normal and elevated NT-pro-BNP levels and analyzed the clinical and outcome data. RESULTS: A total of 167 of 1,420 (11.7%) patients met the study criteria. A total of 77% of male patients and 53% of female patients had elevated NT-pro-BNP levels (P=0.0031). NT-pro-BNP levels were not associated with COPD severity and comorbid illnesses. Log-transformed NT-pro-BNP levels were positively associated with echocardiographically estimated right ventricular systolic pressure (r=0.3658; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2060-0.5067; P<0.0001). Patients with elevated NT-pro-BNP levels were more likely to require intensive care (63% vs 43%; P=0.0207) and had a longer hospital length of stay (P=0.0052). There were no differences in the need for noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (P=0.1245) or mechanical ventilation (P=0.9824) or in regard to in-hospital mortality (P=0.5273). CONCLUSION: Patients with AECOPD and elevated NT-pro-BNP levels had increased hospital length of stay and need for intensive care. Based on our study, serum NT-pro-BNP levels cannot be used as a biomarker for increased mortality or requirement for invasive or noninvasive ventilation in this group of patients.

An Unusual Presentation of Acute Fibrinous and Organizing Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) is a newly evolving rare non-infectious lung pathology, characterized by intra-alveolar fibrin balls on histology. It is often difficult to diagnose and is usually mistaken for other lung pathologies. We present an interesting case of AFOP with unusual radiologic findings and disease course. CASE REPORT A 56-year-old woman presented with a 1-day history of high-grade fever, chills, and profuse sweating. She was febrile to 101.2 degree Fahrenheit on presentation. On physical examination, she had decreased air entry in the left upper lobe of the lung. Laboratory testing showed a white cell count of 27,000 cells per microliter of blood with left shift. A chest radiograph showed a left upper lobe consolidation. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest without intravenous contrast showed advanced centrilobular emphysema and left upper lobe consolidation measuring 6.2×5.9 cm. The patient was started on antibiotics. She clinically improved and was discharged on oral antibiotics. After discharge, a trans-bronchial lung biopsy showed acute inflammatory cell infiltrate with intra-alveolar fibrin balls but no hyaline membrane formation or significant eosinophils. These findings were consistent with acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia. However, she was subsequently lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Our case adds to the literature a new and unusual finding of upper lobe infiltrates, in contrast to most cases presenting as bilateral lower lobe infiltrates. In our case, symptomatic improvement after antibiotic treatment suggests a possible role of antibiotics in management of this entity.

A rare case of gestational thyrotoxicosis as a cause of acute myocardial infarction.

Angina pectoris in pregnancy is unusual and Prinzmetal's angina is much rarer. It accounts for 2% of all cases of angina. It is caused by vasospasm, but the mechanism of spasm is unknown but has been linked with hyperthyroidism in some studies. Patients with thyrotoxicosis-induced acute myocardial infarction are unusual and almost all reported cases have been associated with Graves' disease. Human chorionic gonadotropin hormone-induced hyperthyroidism occurs in about 1.4% of pregnant women, mostly when hCG levels are above 70-80 000 IU/L. Gestational transient thyrotoxicosis is transient and generally resolves spontaneously in the latter half of pregnancy, and specific antithyroid treatment is not required. Treatment with calcium channel blockers or nitrates reduces spasm in most of these patients. Overall, the prognosis for hyperthyroidism-associated coronary vasospasm is good. We describe a very rare case of an acute myocardial infarction in a 27-year-old female, at 9 weeks of gestation due to right coronary artery spasm secondary to gestational hyperthyroidism with free thyroxine of 7.7 ng/dL and TSH <0.07 IU/L. LEARNING POINTS: AMI and cardiac arrest due to GTT despite optimal medical therapy is extremely rare.Gestational hyperthyroidism should be considered in pregnant patients presenting with ACS-like symptoms especially in the setting of hyperemesis gravidarum.Our case highlights the need for increased awareness of general medical community that GTT can lead to significant cardiac events. Novel methods of controlling GTT as well as medical interventions like ICD need further study.

Acute Warfarin Toxicity as Initial Manifestation of Metastatic Liver Disease.

Near complete infiltration of the liver secondary to metastasis from the head and neck cancer is a rare occurrence. The prognosis of liver failure associated with malignant infiltration is extremely poor; the survival time of patients is extremely low. We present a case of acute warfarin toxicity as initial manifestation of metastatic liver disease. Our patient is a 64-year-old woman presenting with epigastric pain and discomfort, found to have unrecordable International Normalized Ratio. She rapidly deteriorated with acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, profound shock requiring high dose vasopressor infusion, severe coagulopathy, worsening liver enzymes with worsening of lactic acidosis and severe metabolic abnormalities, and refractory to aggressive supportive care and died in less than 48 hours. Autopsy revealed that >90% of the liver was replaced by tumor masses.