title: [A case of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis presenting with miniscule ground-glass opacity in the apex of the left lung].
abstract: A 66-year-old man was found to have a very small ground-glass opacity in the apex of the left lung. Because the ground-glass opacity had slightly enlarged after 2 years, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) biopsy was performed. The histological findings showed the alveolar spaces to be filled with PAS-positive granular materials, so pulmonary alveolar proteinosis was diagnosed. Although his bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) did not have a milky appearance, his serum and BALF GM-CSF autoantibody and serum KL-6 levels were elevated. Asymptomatic pulmonary alveolar proteinosis may appear as very small ground-grass opacities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Seirei Mikatahara Hospital.
authors.forename: Sayomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: Koushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokomura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: Kingo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011649:Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed