Affiliations: Department of Pulmonology, Martagão Gesteira
Pediatric Institute of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil | Department of Infectious Diseases, Martagão
Gesteira Pediatric Institute of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil | Department of Emergence, Martagão Gesteira
Pediatric Institute of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil | Licensed Physician and Surgeon, Washington, DC,
USA
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Clemax Couto Sant'Anna, M.D., PhD, R. Cinco
de Julho 350 ap. 604-Copacabana -22051-030, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brazil. Fax:
+55 21 25904891; E-mail: clemax01@yahoo.com
Abstract: From November 2007 to April 2008, 196 patients were admitted to the
Short Stay Unit and/or Intensive Care Unit of the Instituto de Puericultura e
Pediatria Martagão Gesteira with clinical presentations suggesting dengue
fever. Included in this retrospective case series are 181 patients who had
laboratory confirmation of dengue fever; 51.9% (94/181) had classical dengue
fever and 48.1% (87/181) had dengue hemorrhagic fever. Patients ranged from
4 months to 15 years of age; the median age being 9 years (mean
± SD; 8.5 ± 3.6 years). There were 90 cases with
pleuropulmonary manifestations: 30 of 94 cases with classical dengue fever and
60 of 87 cases with dengue hemorrhagic fever. In descending order, the changes
found were pleural effusion, elevation of the diaphragm, and pleural opacity.
Radiological manifestations appeared a median of 6 days after hospitalization
(range, 3 to 11 days). In 89/90 (98.9%) cases with pleuropulmonary
manifestations, early therapeutic approaches resulted in resolution of clinical
and radiologic findings.
