Radiological Features of Right Destroyed Lungs Syndrome with Pathologic Dextrocardia

Abstract

Chronic lungs disease such as relapsed tuberculosis of the lungs could lead to complications that could alter the gross anatomy of a region of the body. Many complications have been reported due to chronic and relapsed lungs infections such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, when they are not properly managed, although, our indexed case improved within a short time after admission. The reported case was a rare presentation of complicated relapsed right lungs tuberculosis with pathologic dextrocardia. He was a 45 year old businessman who presented with history of chronic cough of 25 years duration with associated hemoptysis, treated in the past for lung tuberculosis. He had clinical and radiological features of destroyed right lung syndrome with dextrocardia following relapsed tuberculosis with possible superimposed infection. He was managed with category two regimen although did not complete his treatment in this facility. He had his medication for almost 4 months on out-patient basis in this facility. Though, the first 8 days was as in-patient basis. Radiographic complications in the index case were mediastinal shift, gross distortion of the right lung with associated fibrosis, contra-lateral, pathologic dextrocardia, lung emphysema which was noticed to compensate for the destroyed right lung. These findings are strongly consistent with some other reports that artificial/pathologic dextrocardia can be as a result of relapsed tuberculosis with gross distorted chest region. Therefore, physicians can demonstrate clinical destroyed lung syndrome with pathologic dextrocardia through radiographic findings and should guide against relapsed tuberculosis by revamping Direct observe treatment (DOT) through counseling, as well as prevent transmission of multi-drug resistance tuberculosis through proper investigation.