title: Pulmonary alveolar lithiasis in two siblings.
abstract: Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disease of unknown etiology and is characterized by the deposition of calcium phosphate microliths within the alveolar airspaces. We report 2 asymptomatic siblings, a 7-year-old girl and her 13-year-old brother, with PAM. In the girl, chest X-ray and computed tomography revealed diffuse interstitial changes but no uptake of technetium 99m (99mTc) on bone scan was noted in the lung. Microliths stained pink with Papanicolaou dye in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) but did not stain with von Kossa. In the brother, characteristic radiological findings and 99mTc uptake in the lung were detected. The microliths stained pink with Papanicolaou in BALF and black with von Kossa as well. We hypothesize that the first case is in the early phase of PAM because of lack of 99mTc uptake.
authors: Department of Pulmonology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Istanbul, Turkey. erelelm@yahoo.com
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Erelel
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Kiyan
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Cuhadaroglu
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Yilmazbayhan
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Kiliçaslan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020347:Lithiasis; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013667:Technetium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013667:Technetium