title: Eosinophilic pneumonia associated with heroin inhalation: a case report.
abstract: Drugs are known to be a cause of pulmonary eosinophilia and several case reports of acute eosinophilic pneumonia associated with the use of cocaine have been reported. The changing pattern of heroin use, with a shift from intravenous use to smoking/inhalation of the substance, may lead to increased prevalence of heroin-induced pulmonary eosinophilia. We report on a case of a patient who had been inhaling heroin for about ten years. He presented with fever, cough, dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain. Chest radiograph showed unilateral pleural effusion with segmental atelectasis. Examination of pleuritic fluid aspirate and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed significant eosinophilia. He was diagnosed with acute eosinophilic pneumonia. Rapid remission was achieved after heroin abstinence and initiation of corticosteroid treatment.
authors: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. atsapas@auth.gr
authors: Apostolos
authors: A
authors: Tsapas
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Paletas
authors: Efthymia
authors: E
authors: Vlachaki
authors: Eleni
authors: E
authors: Bekiari
authors: Constantine
authors: C
authors: Spanos
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Economidis
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000328:Adult; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D004804:Eosinophils; D003932:Heroin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D003932:Heroin