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Orthodeoxia: a new finding in interstitial fibrosis.
The American Review of Respiratory Disease
|July 1, 1987
Summary
Orthodeoxia, a condition where oxygen levels drop when standing, was observed in two patients with interstitial lung disease. This positional oxygenation change improved when they lay down, offering new insights into lung fibrosis.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Cardiopulmonary Physiology
Background:
- Orthodeoxia is arterial desaturation worsened by upright posture, typically linked to cardiac or pulmonary vascular shunts.
- While seen in some lung diseases, it hasn't been reported in interstitial fibrosis.
Observation:
- Two patients with severe hypoxemia and disabling dyspnea due to basal interstitial fibrosis were studied.
- These patients exhibited significant arterial desaturation in the upright position that improved with recumbency.
Findings:
- The patients did not have arteriovenous malformations (AVM) or intracardiac shunts.
- This case series demonstrates orthodeoxia in the context of interstitial lung fibrosis.
Implications:
- Positional oxygenation changes can occur in interstitial lung fibrosis, not just with shunts.
- Understanding orthodeoxia in fibrosis is crucial for appropriate oxygen therapy prescription.
- This finding may help explain positional dyspnea in patients with interstitial lung disease.