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Updated: May 7, 2026

Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
Is this an exacerbation of asthma? A cautionary tale
Bharat Sidhu1, Uttam Nanda, Shahab Abbas
1Department of General Medicine, NHS, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK.
Abstract:
Asthma exacerbations are a fairly common presentation to emergency departments. However, a careful history, clinical examination and interpretation of investigations may uncover a more serious pathology. We present an interesting case of a 44-year-old man with symptoms suggestive of an asthma exacerbation, who was found to have Churg-Strauss vasculitis/eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangitis. He had clinical features of a vasculitis, ECG changes and a troponin T level of 7562 ng/L. Renal biopsy confirmed Churg-Strauss vasculitis. Cardiac involvement in Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS) is one of the leading causes of mortality. We describe the successful diagnosis and management of a patient with CSS.
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