A 20-Year-Old Woman With Thoracic Pain and Progressive Dyspnea on Exertion
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Eline G M Steenhuis1, Maaike M Brus1, Nils A 't Hart2
1Department of Pulmonology, Isala, Dokter van Heesweg 2, Zwolle, The Netherlands.
Case Presentation:
A 20-year-old woman presented with dry cough, right-sided thoracic pain, and gradually progressive dyspnea on exertion. She had no hemoptysis or fever. There was no relevant medical history. She was a never smoker and used no medication besides oral contraceptives. There were no other risk factors for a pulmonary embolism. There was a family history of ovarian and breast cancer. Physical examination showed a mildly ill-looking woman, with shallow breathing and normal blood oxygen saturation. Auscultation revealed normal breath sounds without crackles or wheezing. Laboratory testing showed a significantly increased D-dimer (4,560 μg/L [normal, < 500 μg/L]), elevated C-reactive protein (131 mg/L [normal, < 5 mg/L]), normal leucocytes, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (825 units/L [normal, 50 to 250 units/L).
Related Concept Videos
Pneumothorax-II
Clinical Manifestations:
Aneurysm II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
Other Pulmonary Disorders
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
Pneumothorax-I
Pneumothorax can be even further classified as spontaneous, traumatic, and tension pneumothorax.

