PULMONARY TOXICITY INDUCED BY AMIODARONE -A DIAGNOSIS CHALLENGE.

The use of Amiodarone as a first-line antiarrhythmic agent in secondary prophylaxis of sudden cardiac death is limited by its well-known toxicity. The side effects depend on the age of the patient, the dosage and the duration of the treatment. We hereby present the case of a 62-year old female patient, with obesity and hypertension, with a history of malignant rhythm disorders and a long and effective, but unsupervised treatment with Amiodarone. After a period of 7 years, the patient is hospitalized with severe acute respiratory insufficiency, initially diagnosed as a high risk pulmonary thromboembolism. Although the specific treatment, including the thrombolytic one, improved the respiratory and hemodynamic status of the patient, it did not have the estimated result. The repeated imaging showed parenchymal aspects, not farmable in the initial diagnosis, corresponding to pulmonary fibrosis. The treatment with Amiodarone was replaced with corticotherapy, resulting in a noticeable alleviation of respiratory status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]