RESUMO
The prevalence of asthma is increasing in the United States, with an estimated 9 to 12 million persons affected. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. Anti-inflammatory drugs constitute the mainstay of pharmacologic treatment. An especially important factor is patient education that encourages careful self-monitoring by using a peak flow meter. Environmental interventions are mandatory for all patients with asthma and may result in dramatic reductions in symptoms and medication use. Increased understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma has led to research in the development of "antimediator" agents, which may prove useful in the future.
Assuntos
Asma/diagnóstico , Asma/terapia , Antiasmáticos/economia , Asma/fisiopatologia , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Humanos , Educação de Pacientes como Assunto , Encaminhamento e Consulta , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
Complete opacification on chest radiographs may be due to collapse of the lung, consolidation, massive pleural effusion, empyema, hemothorax, chylothorax, fibrothorax, and other causes. We report a case of complete opacification of the hemithorax produced by large cell lymphoma, a previously unreported cause of this finding. Diagnosis was complicated by the CT finding of replacement of the lung parenchyma by a soft-tissue mass with an associated small pleural effusion, while bronchoscopy failed to reveal any major airway obstruction. Large cell lymphoma should therefore be added to the differential diagnosis when considering causes of complete opacification of the hemithorax. Both the patient and his brother had the combination of Lowe's syndrome and cancer.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Pulmonares/diagnóstico por imagem , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/diagnóstico por imagem , Radiografia Torácica , Adulto , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/patologia , MasculinoRESUMO
A chronic persistent cough is one that lasts longer than eight weeks in a patient without known chronic pulmonary disease. These patients may experience prolonged frustration, guilt and self-imposed social isolation, besides risking the medical and surgical complications of recurrent coughing episodes, if the cause of their cough is not quickly established and treated. A comprehensive discussion of the management approach to this problem with reference to the recent literature is presented.
