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Egg Shell Calcifications in a 69 Year Old Woman

Reviewed By Critical Care Assembly

Submitted by

Haytham Adada, MD, MBA, FACP

Fellow

Pulmonary and Critical Care department

East Tennessee State University

Tennessee

Souheil Abdel Nour, MD

Fellow

Pulmonary and Critical Care department

East Tennessee State University

Tennessee

Aaysha Kapila, MD

Resident

Internal Medicine

East Tennessee State University

Tennessee

Ryland Byrd, MD, FCCP

Professor

Pulmonary and Critical Care department

East Tennessee State University

Tennessee

Thomas Roy, MD, FCCP

Program director, Professor

Pulmonary and Critical Care department

East Tennessee State University

Tennessee

Submit your comments to the author(s).

History

A 69 year-old woman with a history of coronary artery disease presents with increased shortness of breath and prominent edema of her lower extremities. She also reports a productive cough with pink frothy sputum, but no evident hemoptysis. She denies experiencing orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea or any other symptoms consistent with congestive heart failure. She denies having fever, chills, night sweats or weight loss. She has lived all her life in East Tennessee and has no history of exposure to tuberculosis. Three months prior, a tuberculin skin test was performed and showed a 0 mm induration. Her past medical history includes a fracture to one of her arms, also 3 months prior to the current visit. The medications she takes on a regular basis include aspirin, metoprolol, and furosemide. Her social history includes a 20 pack-year history of tobacco use, but quit for more than 25 years ago. She denies any alcohol consumption. ,

Physical Exam

On physical examination, patient was afebrile, pulse oximetry was 92% at 2 l/min of oxygen via nasal cannula, blood pressure was 125/80 mmHg, heart rate 85 beats per minute, respiratory rate 20 per minute. Pertinent positives on examination included a S3  on cardiac auscultation, lung auscultation was remarkable for diminished breath sounds, dullness at percussion and bibasilar crackles. The lower extremities revealed a 2 + pitting edema. 

Lab

Laboratory analysis was only remarkable for a elevation of her creatinine to 1.8 mg/dL from a baseline value of1.3 mg/dL.  The chest radiograph is shown below.

Image

Question 1

What is the most likely cause of her acute illness?


References

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