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Round Atelectasis: A Peculiar Pseudotumor Seen on Echocardiogram
Internal Medicine
  • Nardine Abdelsayed, HCA Healthcare
  • Larissa Check, HCA Healthcare
  • Mohamed Faris, HCA Healthcare
Division
South Atlantic
Hospital
Grand Strand Medical Center
Document Type
Case Report
Publication Date
12-23-2021
Keywords
  • asbestosis,
  • round atelecatasis,
  • blesovsky’s syndrome,
  • atelectatic pseudotumor,
  • folded lung,
  • pleuroma,
  • pseudotumor,
  • pleural effusion,
  • recurrent pleural effusions,
  • chronic pleural effusions
Abstract

Round atelectasis (RA) is a rare disorder most commonly occurring in the presence of chronic pleural effusions due to the formation of adhesions and resultant pulmonary collapse. The most common culprit to this disease is asbestosis, but other causes of pleural effusions such as congestive heart failure and pneumonia are reported in the literature. RA can occasionally mimic pulmonary cancers and should be identified to prevent the associated morbidity of tumor workup. We present a case of RA seen on echocardiogram, and then later on computed tomography mimicking a pleural tumor in a 58-year-old female with preexisting heart failure and recurrent pleural effusions. Consultation with radiology and recognition of RA prevented the unnecessary potential morbidity and mortality of further workup.

Publisher or Conference
Cureus
Citation Information
Abdelsayed N, Check L, Faris M. Round Atelectasis: A Peculiar Pseudotumor Seen on Echocardiogram. Cureus. 2021;13(12):e20646. doi:10.7759/cureus.20646