Effect of diethylcarbamazine on the alveolitis of tropical eosinophilia.
Bronchoalveolar lavage studies in 33 patients with acute untreated tropical eosinophilia have demonstrated intense eosinophilic alveolitis. Following treatment with a standard 3-week course of diethylcarbamazine, there was a significant fall in lung eosinophils (p less than 0.001). However, a mild alveolitis characterised by hypercellular lavage fluid due to a significant increase in absolute alveolar macrophages (p less than 0.001) and due to an increase in both the absolute number (p less than 0.01) and percentage of eosinophils (p = 0.02) was persisting at 1 month despite treatment. Long-term follow-up is essential to know the fate of alveolitis.
Vijayan
V K
VK
Cardio-Pulmonary Medicine Unit, Indian Council of Medical Research, Madras.
Sankaran
K
K
Venkatesan
P
P
Prabhakar
R
R
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008174:Lung Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti
D004049:Diethylcarbamazine