title: Low-dose/long-term erythromycin for treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP).
abstract: Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a pathologic entity characterized by intraluminal fibrosis of distal air spaces. Corticosteroids have been widely used for the treatment of this condition, and most patients showed a dramatic response to it. However, long-term treatment with corticosteroids, which often increases the risk of several undesirable side-effects, is usually required because a relapse tends to occur soon after termination of treatment. We administered erythromycin (EM) at low-dose (600 mg daily) for 3-4 months to 6 patients with BOOP, and obtained a good clinical, radiological, and physiological improvement. This suggests that EM can be successfully used, instead of corticosteroids, in the treatment of BOOP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katsuki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oizumi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001989:Bronchiolitis Obliterans / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D004917:Erythromycin