Critical pitfall: another cause of wheezing

An 87-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with progressive dyspnoea on effort over the previous 2 weeks. She had been treated for rheumatoid arthritis with oral prednisolone (5 mg/day) and tacrolimus (2 mg/day). At her first visit, vital signs and physical examination were normal except for slight rhonchi in anterior lung fields. Chest radiograph showed slight cardiomegaly, but no abnormal lesions were noted in either lung (figure 1A). Echocardiography demonstrated no evidence of congestive heart failure. She …