By
“Mr. B is a 76-year-old Vietnam veteran presenting with profound left sided weakness.”
No matter what information was about to follow this opening sentence, I knew this patient was definitely in harm’s way.
Sure enough, as the presentation continued, our team learned that Mr. B had noticed decline in his physical function for a few weeks at home, on top of worsening memory and cognition over several years. Soon he noted a heaviness in his left arm and leg, as well as pain in his ribcage, and in a matter of days he was so incredibly weak that he was crawling up and down the stairs. In an urgent care clinic, a chest x-ray revealed a large mass in his right lung, and further imaging studies told a most terrible story: metastatic lung cancer.
Jason Liebowitz, MD, completed his fellowship in rheumatology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, where he also earned his medical degree. He is currently in practice with Skylands Medical Group, N.J.