[Carrington's disease without eosinophils in the bronchial lavage].
BACKGROUND
Idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (ICEP) or Carrington's disease is an infiltration of the lung parenchyma by eosinophils without known cause. The diagnosis of ICEP is based on well defined clinical and radiological characteristics associated with blood and/or alveolar eosinophilia. Alveolar hypereosinophilia is marked and regarded as a constant feature.


METHODS
We report the case of a 57 year old man seen on account of a cough and deterioration of general health associated with radiographic peripheral pulmonary infiltrates, blood hypereosinophilia but no hypereosinophilia in the bronchial lavage (BL). The diagnosis of ICEP was made after histological examination of a surgical lung biopsy.


CONCLUSIONS
Absence of alveolar hypereosinophilia in ICEP remains exceptional and in this case confirmation of the diagnosis may depend on examination of a lung biopsy.
Marcq
M
M
Service de Pneumologie, Hôpital Bretonneau, CHU de Tours, France. mariemarcq@wanadoo.fr
de Muret
A
A
Letourmy
J M
JM
Anthonioz
P
P
Dupont
P
P
Diot
P
P
D001706:Biopsy; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000097:blood; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000473:pathology; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*