Case report
An unusual exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with herpes simplex tracheitis: case report
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* Corresponding author: Alison C Boland alison.boland@doctors.net.uk
Department of respiratory medicine, St James's university hospital, Leeds, UK
Journal of Medical Case Reports 2007, 1:91 doi:10.1186/1752-1947-1-91
Published: 19 September 2007Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common cause of morbidity in the UK and is increasingly seen in elderly patients, often requiring multiple courses of steroids. We present a case of a 72 year old lady with repeated exacerbations of COPD which did not respond to conventional treatment. Herpes simplex virus (HSV1) tracheobronchitis was diagnosed following a rigid bronchoscopy and her symptoms improved with intravenous acyclovir. This is the first published case of HSV tracheitis in a non immunosuppressed individual with chronic lung disease.