Letter to the Editor

A Rare Cause of Wheezing

Authors: Martin Lopez, MD, Brighita Weinberg, MD, Muhammad Waseem, MD

Abstract

To the Editor:


Wheezing is a common presentation in the emergency department (ED). Although common causes of wheezing are routine, certain etiologies may not be considered and can be overlooked. Scimitar syndrome is a rare cause of wheezing in infants. The usual presentation is congestive heart failure and respiratory distress in early infancy. We report the case of a 5-week-old infant who presented with wheezing, but failed to improve with inhalation of albuterol treatment. Further evaluation revealed abnormal pulmonary venous drainage and hypoplastic right lung, consistent with diagnosis of Scimitar syndrome.

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