title: Fatal interstitial pneumonitis following high-dose intermittent chlorambucil therapy for chronic lymphocyte leukemia.
abstract: Interstitial lung disease has been reported in association with numerous alkylating agents and other chemotherapeutic drugs. Chlorambucil has only rarely been implicated in this complication. We report a case of a 74-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who received high-dose intermittent chlorambucil and prednisone every two weeks. Following several of these courses of therapy, respiratory distress occurred 9 to 12 days after the chlorambucil was given. During the final episode, open lung biopsy was performed and demonstrated typical changes of drug-induced pneumonitis, with interstitial infiltrates and fibrosis and proliferation of type II alveolar lining cells.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000542:Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001706:Biopsy; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002699:Chlorambucil; D011241:Prednisone