[Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis noted in a patient with thymoma].
A 74-year-old woman had general fatigue and mild fever in August 2004. Her chest X-ray showed slight ground glass opacities in the upper and middle lung fields of both lungs. Though she was prescribed antibacterial drugs, the abnormal shadows on chest X-ray did not improve. The chest CT showed ground glass opacities and reticular shadows with thickened alveolar septa (crazy-paving appearance) in both lungs, and a clearly defined mass in the anterior mediastinum. She underwent thymo-thymectomy with wedge resection of the upper lobe of the left lung. Anterior mediastinum tumor was pathologically diagnosed as thymoma. Lung biopsy demonstrated alveoli filled with SP-A positive granular materials, and we diagnosed pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. About 1 month after operation, the shadows on chest CT showed improvement. We think there might be some relationship between thymoma and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.
Matsunaga
Kazuko
K
Department of Respiratory Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Ohmuta Hospital.
Nagata
Nobuhiko
N
Iwata
Yasuhiro
Y
Kumazoe
Hiroyuki
H
Komori
Masashi
M
Shigyo
Mutsumi
M
Wakamatsu
Kentarou
K
Kajiki
Akira
A
Kitahara
Yoshinari
Y
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011649:Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A / Q000032:analysis; D013934:Thymectomy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A