A 73-Year-Old Man with Shortness of Breath, Edema, and Weight Gain

Abstract

Morning Report is a time-honored tradition where physicians-in-training present cases to their colleagues and clinical experts to collaboratively examine an interesting patient presentation. The Morning Report section seeks to carry on this tradition by presenting a patient’s chief concern and story, inviting the reader to develop a differential diagnosis and discover the diagnosis alongside the authors of the case.This report examines the story of a 73-year-old man who sought evaluation for 1 month of shortness of breath, bilateral lower-extremity edema, and weight gain of 14 kg. Using questions, physical examination, and testing, an illness script for the presentation emerges. As the clinical course progresses, the differential is refined until a diagnosis is made.