A hitherto unreported pulmonary complication in an IV heroin user.

IV heroin use is associated with several well-described complications, including noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, aspiration pneumonitis, ARDS, pneumonia, lung abscess, septic pulmonary emboli, and atelectasis. Foreign-body granulomatosis may develop when drug users inject solutions containing crushed oral tablets in which talc is used as filler and can be complicated by pulmonary fibrosis. The effects are distinct from pulmonary edema, which may occur acutely with heroin injection.

Update on pleural diseases--2007.

Background: New information is available on pleural diseases. The authors selected articles to make recommendations on diagnostic and treatment aspects of pleural diseases.

Materials And Methods: Eleven articles published in the English language between 2004 and 2007 were chosen.

Dyspnea with slow-growing mass of the left hemithorax.

We report a case of a 65-year-old male patient who presented with gradually worsening dyspnea over 2 years. History was significant for smoking and the absence of any hazardous occupational exposure. The clinical findings at presentation included absent breath sounds and stony dullness on the left side, with tracheal deviation contralaterally and clubbing.