Abstract

An 82-year-old female non-smoker with a history of hypertension presented with increasing dyspnea, cough and some purulent sputum without fever. Upon admission, the patient was in a distressed condition. Auscultation revealed diminished breath sounds with no rales over the right lung. An examination of the heart revealed a regular rhythm and a systolic murmur radiating from the apex of the heart. There was no pitting edema in the lower extremities. The blood tests showed mild leukocytosis and an increased C-reactive protein level. The O2 saturation was 98 % whilst breathing room air. The electrocardiogram demonstrated sinus tachycardia. The chest radiograph showed a moderate cardiomegaly, right lobe infiltrates, and blunting of the both costophrenic sulcus suggesting a small pleural effusion. Three days after admission, the symptoms became slightly aggravated despite being treated with empirical antibiotics for presumed community-acquired pneumonia. Transthoracic color Doppler echocardiography indicated an ejection fraction of 48 %, mild left ventricular enlargement, and moderate left atrial enlargement resulting in severe mitral regurgitation. The clinical symptoms and right pulmonary edema resolved quickly with intravenous furosemide treatment. (Tuberc Respir Dis 2005; 59: 432-435)