Pulmonary Embolism: A Mimicker of Asthma

Introduction: Pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening disease and is crucial to diagnose and treat as early as possible. There are times where it can present with vague symptoms or mimic other diseases. Case report: We report the case of a 67-year-old with past medical history of asthma who presented with persistent shortness of breath for two months. The patient received nebulizer treatments with mild relief. Patient had elevated troponin and was admitted for acute coronary syndrome. During his inpatient course, he was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and was started on anticoagulation therapy. Conclusion: Pulmonary embolism can mimic symptoms of asthma. Patients who do not respond as expected to conventional treatment for asthma should prompt emergency physicians to evaluate for other etiologies.