Undiagnosed dyspnea with pulmonary nodule.

Physicians should remain vigilant about alternative causes of shortness of breath even when respiratory diseases are being effectively treated. The lateral view of chest radiography can be valuable in discerning the three-dimensional characteristics of pulmonary abnormalities.

Tracheoesophageal fistula presenting with ventilator air leaks and recurrent pneumonia.

We describe a patient who received tracheostomy but complicated with tracheoesophageal fistula, where the nasogastric tube was visible from the fistula under bronchoscopy. Tracheostomy tube was then replaced with an endotracheal tube to bypass the fistula.

Artificial stone-associated silicosis with concurrent Cryptococcus infection.

Acute silicoproteinosis is a disease that develops in weeks, and lasting for years, after massive exposure to silica dust in relatively closed spaces. It was rare, but the cases have recently increased worldwide due to the development of artificial stone industry. Compared with traditional silicosis, artificial stone-associated silicosis is more rapidly progressive and lethal.