Amiodarone-induced loculated pleural effusion: case report and review of the literature

Pharmacotherapy
Vuong UongRishi Raj

Abstract

Pleural effusion is an uncommon manifestation of amiodarone toxicity and is usually associated with amiodarone-induced interstitial pneumonitis. We describe a 70-year-old woman who came to the emergency department with bilateral pleuritic chest pain and malaise 4 weeks after her amiodarone dose was increased from 200 mg/day to 600 mg/day. She had bilateral exudative pleural effusions without associated pneumonitis. She was diagnosed with amiodarone-induced pleural effusions after a thorough workup during her hospitalization excluded other causes for the effusions. Due to intractable arrhythmias, the patient's amiodarone was not discontinued, and she was discharged home. Four days later at a follow-up visit at the pulmonary clinic, the patient complained of worsening chest pain as well as dyspnea and cough. A computed tomography scan showed left-sided pleural effusion with multiple loculations. She underwent a pulmonary vein isolation procedure, and amiodarone was discontinued. She was treated with prednisone 40 mg/day, tapered over the next 2 weeks. Three weeks after the amiodarone was stopped, the patient was asymptomatic, and a chest radiograph showed complete resolution of the effusions. Review of the patient's medical recor...Continue Reading

Citations

May 22, 2019·Clinical Case Reports·Peter Henry Waddingham, Anthony Wai-Cheong Chow

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