80-Year-Old Man With Orthopnea, Dyspnea, and Hemoptysis

Abstract

An 80-year-old man presented to the emergency department with exertional dyspnea. His symptoms had begun 3 weeks prior to presentation and had progressively worsened. Additional review of systems elicited nonexertional chest pain, orthopnea, hemoptysis, and epistaxis. He reported no fever, chills, headaches, night sweats, weight changes, sputum production, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or obstructive voiding symptoms. He lived in southeastern Minnesota and had no recent travel history. Forty years previously, he had discontinued his habits of smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming illegal drugs.