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Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis Coexisting With Rheumatic Heart Disease and Severe Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case Report

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare diffuse lung disease characterized by intra-alveolar calcium phosphate microlith accumulation. Its coexistence with rheumatic valvular heart disease with resultant severe pulmonary hypertension is exceedingly uncommon and poses unique diagnostic and management challenges. This case underscores the importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis, emphasizing that new or worsening respiratory symptoms in patients with established cardiac disease should not be automatically attributed to cardiac pathology alone. We report the case of a 63-year-old gentleman with longstanding rheumatic heart disease (RHD) who presented with progressive dyspnoea. Clinical evaluation revealed features suggestive of severe pulmonary hypertension. Investigations confirmed PAM with characteristic “sandstorm” calcifications on chest imaging, supported by bronchoalveolar lavage demonstrating calcospherites and identification of an SLC34A2 gene mutation, alongside rheumatic mitral stenosis. The patient’s pulmonary hypertension was attributed to a combination of PAM and RHD. This case illustrates a rare combination of PAM with RHD and severe pulmonary hypertension. It underlines the importance of considering dual pathology in patients with complex cardiopulmonary presentations. Early recognition of PAM, even in the presence of another disease like RHD, is crucial for appropriate management and prognostication. This report adds to the limited literature on such coexistence and highlights the need for multidisciplinary care in these patients.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.99674

Authors: Aadithya Shyllesh H, Tehsim A Memon, Pranathi Guruswamy, Tufayl Ahmed M Shekha, Rutva Harish Fatnani

Institutions: M S Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Symbiosis International University

Language: English

Topic: Medical Imaging and Pathology Studies

Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4417520240