March 2011 Arizona Thoracic Society Notes

A dinner meeting was held at Scottsdale Shea Medical Center on March 15, 2011 from 6:30-8:00 PM. Fifteen were in attendance including representatives from the pulmonary and chest radiology communities. A brief presentation was made by Rick Robbins of current ATS activities. Five cases were presented and discussed: 1. Gerald Swartzberg presented a case of a 73 year old with dyspnea and severe restrictive physiology but without evidence of pulmonary fibrosis. Discussion centered on sniff testing and the possibility of bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis. 2. Henry Luedy presented a case of a thoracic duct-cutaneous fistula draining lymph percutaneously. The patient was not considered a surgical candidate and radiologic evaluation and nonsurgical interventions were discussed. 3. George Parides presented a case of a 47 year old with shrinking lung nodules and microscopic hematuria. Discussion centered on microscopic polyangitis and the most expeditious diagnostic tests. 4. George Parides presented a second case of a 79 year old who is asymptomatic but with an incidental finding of scattered lung nodules. Discussion centered on atypical mycobacterium and the necessity of diagnosis versus observation.  5. John Roehrs presented a case of a 53 year old woman with dyspnea and mild pulmonary hypertension discovered to have a patent foramen ovale. Discussion centered on management including correction and anticoagulation.

Richard A. Robbins, MD