title: Idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia and asthma: how do they influence each other?
abstract: Since idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (ICEP) and asthma are frequently associated, their possible reciprocal influence on clinical presentation and evolution were investigated. The clinical and follow-up features of 53 cases of ICEP, of which 41 (77%) had asthma, were reviewed retrospectively. Asthma preceded the diagnosis of ICEP in 26 patients, was contemporaneous in eight patients, and developed 17 +/- 12 months after ICEP in seven patients. Presentation of ICEP was similar in asthmatics and nonasthmatics with the exception of a higher level of total immunoglobulin E in the former group. Patients with asthma at the time of diagnosis of ICEP were more likely to remain free of relapse of ICEP (56 versus 23%) and had a lower number of relapses per year of follow-up (median 0 versus 0.24). Moreover, they were treated more frequently with long-term inhaled corticosteroids (88 versus 31%) at last follow-up. Asthma got worse after the diagnosis of ICEP and frequently required long-term oral corticosteroids. To conclude, among patients with idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, asthmatics have a lower frequency of relapse than nonasthmatics, possibly because of a higher use of inhaled corticosteroids. The occurrence of idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia in asthmatics is often associated with the development of severe asthma.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines Pulmonaires, Hôpital Cardiovasculaire et Pneumologique Louis Pradel, Université Claude Bernard, Hospices Civils de Lyon, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marchand
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Etienne-Mastroianni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chanez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lauque
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leclerc
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cordier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires