title: Pulmonary eosinophilia.
abstract: Pulmonary eosinophilia comprises a heterogeneous group of diseases defined by eosinophilia in pulmonary infiltrates (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) or in tissue (lung biopsy specimens). Although the inflammatory infiltrate is composed of macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils, eosinophilia is an important marker for the diagnosis and treatment. Clinical and radiological presentations can include simple pulmonary eosinophilia, chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, acute eosinophilic pneumonia, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and pulmonary eosinophilia associated with a systemic disease, such as in Churg-Strauss syndrome and hypereosinophilic syndrome. Asthma is frequently concomitant and can be a prerequisite, as in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and Churg-Strauss syndrome. In diseases with systemic involvement, the skin, the heart and the nervous system are the most affected organs. The radiological presentation can be typical, or at least suggestive, of one of three types of pulmonary eosinophilia: chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, acute eosinophilic pneumonia and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. The etiology of pulmonary eosinophilia can be either primary (idiopathic) or secondary, due to known causes, such as drugs, parasites, fungal infection, mycobacterial infection, irradiation and toxins. Pulmonary eosinophilia can be also associated with diffuse lung diseases, connective tissue diseases and neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Residency Program in Pulmonology and Respiratory Outpatient Clinic. Júlia Kubitschek Hospital, Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais - FHEMIG, Hospital Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais - Belo Horizonte, Brazil. lemendescampos@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Luiz Eduardo Mendes
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando Ferreira
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy