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Chest pain is a common and complex symptom that can arise from various etiologies, ranging from benign musculoskeletal conditions to life-threatening cardiovascular events. It is a hallmark symptom of myocardial infarction, angina, and other ischemic heart diseases, necessitating prompt and thorough evaluation. Ongoing chest pain post-procedures and medication administration presents a diagnostic challenge, as it may be indicative of an exacerbation of underlying conditions. We present the case of a 64-year-old Caucasian male who initially presented with severe and persistent chest pain suggestive of an anterior wall ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). He had a history of coronary artery disease and had recently undergone cardiac catheterization. Despite prompt administration of nitroglycerin and aspirin, the patient's symptoms persisted, prompting emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Subsequent to PCI, ongoing chest discomfort persisted, prompting further investigation, which revealed a concurrent lung mass and nodules on imaging. Additional interventions, including repeated PCI procedures and thoracentesis, were undertaken. Unfortunately, the patient's clinical course rapidly deteriorated, culminating in cardiac arrest and unsuccessful resuscitative efforts. This case highlights the complexities inherent in managing intricate cardiovascular conditions and emphasizes the critical importance of maintaining vigilance for concomitant pathologies.

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El síndrome de Contarini es una presentación infrecuente de derrame pleural bilateral en la cual el líquido pleural en cada hemitórax presenta diferentes características, y puede explicarse por diferentes causas. Hay escasa literatura al respecto, por lo que presentamos un caso de derrame pleural bilateral que sería compatible con dicho síndrome (AU)

Contarini’s syndrome is an infrequent presentation of bilateral pleural effusion, in which the pleural fluid in each hemithorax has different characteristics and can be explained by different causes. There is limited literature on this syndrome, so we present a case of bilateral pleural effusion that would be compatible with this syndrome (AU)

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This case contemplates the unusual presentation, challenging diagnostic workup and conservative therapeutic process of a patient with Actinomyces empyema complicated along the way due to drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome. The patient was a 40-year-old male, who presented with pleurodynia and fever. Laboratory exams showed elevated inflammatory markers and imaging revealed two biconvex fluid pockets located in the right lower lobe, from which the fluid was positive for Actinomyces meyeri. The initial conservative process with intravenous antibiotics and successful drainage with intrapleural fibrinolysis improved our patient. However, after a few days, the patient's fevers relapsed, and as regress of the empyema was discussed as a complication, he developed a maculopapular symmetrical rash of the trunk and legs accompanied by enlarged lymph nodes, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, and atypical lymphocytes. The diagnosis of DRESS syndrome due to antibiotic therapy for actinomyces empyema was established and a balance between bactericidal and immunosuppression medication had to be found. Fortunately, the patient withstood prolonged antibiotic therapy and got fully treated without any relapses.

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Whipple's disease is caused by a ubiquitous Gram-positive bacillus, Tropheryma whipplei. The disease is extremely rare, with only 1,000 cases reported worldwide. Classic Whipple's disease is characterized by a multisystemic involvement with joint (arthralgias) and gastrointestinal (abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss) symptoms.  We present a case of a 48-year-old male who had a constitutional syndrome associated with an exuberant bilateral pleural effusion. The small bowel biopsy identified a rod-shaped bacterial cologne in the macrophage cytoplasm, positive for periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) exam identified the DNA of Tropheryma whipplei. The patient was medicated with two weeks of endovenous antibiotherapy with ceftriaxone 2 g per day, followed by one year of oral trimethoprim 160 mg and sulfamethoxazole 800 mg twice daily. He presented good evolution with total resolution of symptoms.

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A 79-year-old woman presents with recurrent pericardial and pleural effusions for several years. She was noted to have exudative pleural effusions and bilateral nailbed discoloration. The constellation of her presenting symptoms and existing physical examination findings revealed a diagnosis of yellow nail syndrome, a rare cause of recurrent pericardial effusions. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

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Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute illness primarily affecting children under the age of five. It is characterized by fever and inflammation of small to medium-sized arteries. This case report presents the case of a nine-year-old boy with KD who developed Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (KDSS) complicated by bilateral pleural effusion, which is a rare occurrence. KDSS is defined as KD accompanied by low blood pressure or signs of inadequate blood flow, leading to increased cardiovascular complications. The patient exhibited typical KD symptoms, including conjunctivitis, mucosal changes, rash, extremity swelling, and lymphadenopathy. Additionally, he presented with shock symptoms, such as hypotension and tachycardia. Laboratory findings showed elevated inflammatory markers. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent coronary artery lesions and other severe complications. The patient received intravenous immunoglobulin and showed significant improvement, with resolution of fever and respiratory distress. Follow-up echocardiography revealed normal results. While pulmonary involvement in KD is rare, the presence of bilateral pleural effusion underscores the challenges in diagnosing KDSS. Early recognition and management are essential for favorable outcomes in KD and its complications.

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The insertion of long-term central venous catheters is a standard of care for children affected by malignancies, although it can be associated with life-threatening complications. The present paper reports an unusual mechanical complication related to the use of a long term tunneled central venous catheter in a pediatric oncologic patient. An 18 months old child, diagnosed with stage M high-risk retroperitoneal neuroblastoma, underwent ultrasound-guided placement of a 6 Fr bilumen long-term tunneled central venous catheter in the right internal jugular vein prior to the beginning of induction chemotherapy. The correct position of the distal tip of the catheter was confirmed by fluoroscopy. After 4 months of regular use of the device, the patient experienced neck swelling during high-dose chemotherapy infusion. A chest x-ray showed a dislocated catheter and bilateral pleural effusion. CT scan demonstrated the tip of the catheter rupturing the medial wall of the right jugular vein and entering the mediastinum; furthermore, pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous neck emphysema and bilateral pleural effusion were noticed and a thrombus was evident in the right jugular vein at the insertion in the brachiocephalic vein. The patient was then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit and bilateral thoracostomy tubes were placed urgently (500 mL of clear fluid were evacuated from pleural spaces). The dislocated catheter was removed electively on the following day under fluoroscopy. Despite ultrasound-guided placement and long-term uneventful use of the catheter, life-threatening central venous catheter-related mechanical complications can occur; the current case report emphasizes the importance of careful monitoring of patients with central venous catheters in order to quickly diagnose and treat potentially lethal complications.

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We present a case report of a 74-years old patient with a finding of bilateral pleural effusion due to a different fluid composition caused by gastric adenocarcinoma. The finding of a bilateral effusion, where the exudate fluid is of a different chemical composition, is a rare phenomenon. While the right-sided exudate had the characteristics of hydrothorax, the left-sided exudate had those of chylothorax. The initial suspicion of a lung tumor was not confirmed, and further examination surprisingly revealed gastric adenocarcinoma. The patient did not benefit from targeted oncological treatment for a long time and the chemotherapy was terminated after 3 cycles. The cause of right-sided hydrothorax is therefore attributed to hypalbuminemia and secondary pneumonia, left-sided chylothorax was a primo-manifestation of gastric adenocarcinoma. There is only a small number of similar case reports of patients with gastric tumor and chylothorax in the literature. While the recorded cases were mostly Asian ethnic patients, the course of their illness - including survival - was almost strikingly similar (and unfavorable).

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A 67-year-old man with a history of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was admitted to the Internal Medicine ward for bilateral pleural effusion. Two years before this episode, coinciding with an exacerbation of the RA, he was incidentally diagnosed with asymptomatic left pleural effusion compatible with rheumatoid exudate, which was resolved with a tube thoracostomy. Three weeks before admission, the patient developed asthenia, orthopnoea and progressive dyspnoea. A chest x-ray revealed bilateral pleural effusion occupying the lower third of the left hemithorax and a smaller portion of the right hemithorax along with marked elevation of N-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels. The patient was admitted with a diagnosis of left-sided heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac catheterization confirmed the existence of ischaemic cardiomyopathy. After 2 days of diuretic treatment, the right pleural effusion resolved, but the left effusion persisted. A needle thoracentesis was performed, draining 800 ml of milky fluid compatible with rheumatoid pseudochylothorax. LEARNING POINTS: Bilateral pleural effusions nearly always have the same cause, and usually thoracentesis on only one side is needed.Rarely, however, there can be two separate causes: this is known as Contarini's syndrome.

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INTRODUCTION: In the absence of firm recommendations, we analyzed whether unilateral thoracic puncture is sufficient for bilateral pleural effusion (PE), or if the procedure needs to be performed in both sides. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective study of patients seen consecutively for bilateral PE during a period of 3 years and 9 months. All patients underwent simultaneous bilateral thoracocentesis. The standard protocol variables collected in our hospital served as study parameters. Size of PE, presence of chest pain or fever, or accompanying lung abnormalities, different attenuation values on chest computed tomography, presence of loculated pleural fluid, and radiological resolution in a single side were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients (19 men; mean age 68.5 ± 16.5 years) were included. The etiology of the effusion was different in each side in only 2 patients (5.6%). In 6/32 cases (18.8%), the biological analysis of the pleural fluid (in terms of transudate/exudate) from both sides did not correspond with the etiological diagnosis of the effusion. Correlation between biochemical parameters analyzed in the fluid from both sides (Pearson's correlation coefficient) ranged between 0.74 (LDH) and 0.998 (NT-proBNP). As different diagnoses in each side were found in only 2 patients, the circumstances in which bilateral diagnostic thoracocentesis would be necessary could not be determined. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous bilateral thoracocentesis does not appear to be recommendable. Larger series are needed to establish which factors might suggest the need for simultaneous puncture of both PE.

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The patient was a 77-year-old woman diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 1973. She was initiated on infliximab therapy in addition to methotrexate administration in 2009. The therapeutic response decreased after the fifth dose of infliximab, and the patient developed rheumatoid pleuritis due to increased RA disease activity. The therapy was switched from infliximab to tocilizumab, which resulted in amelioration of the arthralgias well as pleuritis. Our results suggest that tocilizumab is an effective treatment alternative for the treatment of rheumatoid pleuritis.

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Ovarin hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), an iatrogenic complication of ovarian stimulation, shows varying degrees of clinical manifestations. The pathogenesis of OHSS is an increase of vascular permeability resulting in hypovolemia, thromboembolism, ARDS, and death in sometimes. Pleural effusion is also a result of an increase of vascular permedability in the pleura. Thoracentesis is sometimes required to relieve dyspnea. We report a case of OHSS with bilateral exudative pleural effusfion is a 23 year-old female with resting dyspnea. She was received clomi;hen, FSH, and LH for the treatment of irregular menstruation twenty days previously. The ultrasonogram showed severe ascites and bilaterally huge ovary, and chest radiography showed bilateral effusion. Therapeutic thoracentesis and paracentesis were done for relief of the dyspnea. Two weeks later the bilateral effusion and symptoms disappeared spontaneously.

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