A patient is admitted with shortness of breath and hemoptysis. A chest x-ray revealed patchy infiltrates in the left lung and possible pneumonia. On the third day of hospitalization a bronchoscopy with biopsy was done which revealed a small cell carcinoma of the left upper lobe of the lung. A metastatic lesion in the brain was detected. The principal diagnosis is the

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The bronchoscopy revealed a small cell carcinoma of the lung, which is the principal diagnosis. The metastatic brain lesion is a secondary diagnosis, as it resulted from the primary lung carcinoma. The pneumonia and hemoptysis are likely complications or symptoms of the lung cancer.

A Patient Is Admitted with Shortness of Breath and Hemoptysis