Does She Have Thoracic Endometriosis Syndrome?

Shared by an Italian doctor specializing in Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine

I want to describe to you the case of a 17-year-old woman with a suspected but unconfirmed diagnosis of endobronchial endometriosis.

Her clinical history was characterized by recurrent non-massive hemoptysis, which started when the patient was 13 years old with her hormonal development and the arrival of her first period. Since then, she went through various hospitalizations, both in pediatric and non pediatric hospitals, but the diagnosis had always remained nebulous. There weren’t other cases of endometriosis in her family history. Pelvic, thorax and neck MRI and CT scans were always inconsistent with the diagnosis. Gastrointestinal endoscopic investigations always remained inconclusive, excluding a gastrointestinal pertinence of active bleeding. She had been treated with estrogen for 12 months. Hemoptysis stopped for 6 months, but then she returned to have hemoptysis again.  Psychological investigations with the patient alone and with her family suspected a Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

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