"Crack lung and heart" presenting after chemotherapy in a 65-year-old man with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract

Crack cocaine can cause variety of pulmonary and cardiac complications. Pulmonary findings in a 65-year-old man with non-Hodgkin lymphoma who presented with shortness of breath not resolving with antibiotics are presented here. The usual manifestation of "crack lung" in an unusual clinical circumstance underlines the importance of a clinical history in such cases. The finding of "crack lung" preceded the diagnosis of probable "crack heart." No other similar published case reports could be identified in the literature. Copyright © 2008 Multimed Inc.