Author: Axel Küttner, MD, Erlangen, Germany
Body Region: Chest
1. Patient Presentation
- A 62-year-old man was referred to our emergency room for cough, expectoration of sputum, subfebrile temperatures, elevated C-reactive protein and leukocytosis.
- Chest radiography showed no pneumonic infiltrations. Echocardiography showed pericardial effusion.
- Antibiotic treatment was initiated.
- Repeat chest radiography two days later showed small bilateral pleural effusions.
- The following day, since the patient had not improved, chest CT was ordered to rule out
pulmonary embolism or coronary artery disease.