[Three cases of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis in a family and clinical analysis].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics of 3 cases of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis in a family, and therefore to improve the understanding of the disease.


METHODS
To analyze the clinical, laboratory and radiological data of three patients with pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis in a family and the relevant literatures were reviewed.


RESULTS
There was a typical manifestation in these three cases of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis: progressive dyspnoea, cough, family history. Chest X-ray and computed tomography demonstrate: the pulmones was full of high density reflection of intra-alveolar microliths especially in middle-lower lobe and posterior lobe. The etiology of these three cases is still unknown, consanguineous marriage of parents is possible reason. There was not effective therapies to them.


CONCLUSIONS
Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis is a disease without clear known etiology and effective therapy. For a patient with radiological features of high density intra-alveolar microliths and a positive family history, the diagnosis should be highly suspected.
Zhang
Yue
Y
Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China.
Yang
Yang
Y
Yu
Ting
T
Qiao
Jun-Hua
JH
Tumen
Wu-Liji
WL
Wu
Chun-Feng
CF
Ma
Zhong-Sen
ZS
D000328:Adult; D002137:Calculi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000473:pathology