Chronic use of Datura stramonium cigarettes and late diagnosis of bullous emphysema in a smoker of marijuana and tobacco

Angela Gambelunghe; Bruno Aloisio; Cristiana Gambelunghe; Ilenia Folletti; Marino Chiodi; Giacomo Muzi; Nicola Murgia; Marco dell'Omo

doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2022.101761

Chronic use of Datura stramonium cigarettes and late diagnosis of bullous emphysema in a smoker of marijuana and tobacco

Respir Med Case Rep. 2022 Oct 25:40:101761. doi: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2022.101761. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Angela Gambelunghe¹, Bruno Aloisio¹, Cristiana Gambelunghe², Ilenia Folletti¹, Marino Chiodi³, Giacomo Muzi¹, Nicola Murgia⁴, Marco dell'Omo¹

Affiliations

¹ Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Italy.
² Section of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Italy.
³ Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, University of Perugia, Italy.
⁴ Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.

Abstract

Unconventional inhaled therapy as a treatment for respiratory diseases became very common during the 19th century. Here, we present the case of a 52-year-old patient who smoked Datura stramonium cigarettes, tobacco cigarettes, and cannabis, with only an early diagnosis of asthma. The patient was admitted to our hospital with acute respiratory syndrome, characterized by worsening dyspnea, cough, and an acute episode of dyspnea and chest tightness. The combined chronic use of both D. stramonium cigarettes and cannabis masks the progression of chronic obstructive lung damage due to tobacco cigarette smoking because of the lack of clinical signs and symptoms.

Keywords: Anticholinergic drugs; COPD; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Datura stramonium; Emphysema; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC, forced vital capacity; Marijuana; PEFR, peak expiratory flow rate; Tobacco.

Publication types

Case Reports