title: Life after acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia: a case report of a patient 30 months after diagnosis and review of the literature.
abstract: Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) is a rare histologic interstitial pneumonia pattern recently described in the literature with fewer than 120 cases published. AFOP is often difficult to diagnose and may be mistaken for other pulmonary disorders such as interstitial pneumonias or pneumonitides. Patients often present with vague symptoms of cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, fatigue, and occasionally respiratory failure. Radiological findings show diffuse patchy opacities and ground glass appearance of the lungs. On histologic examination, intra-alveolar fibrin balls are observed. We discuss a case of a man who presented with hemoptysis and dyspnea and whose open lung biopsy revealed AFOP. We will describe the presentation, diagnosis, and post-discharge course, and review the current literature. There are only 4 cases which have reported the patients' course of disease after 1 year, the longest being 2 years. To our knowledge, this is the only case of AFOP in the literature that describes the course of a patient more than 2 years after the diagnosis of AFOP, and is the most comprehensive review of the current literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 North Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA. Electronic address: catherine.kuza@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuza
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 North Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Theofilos
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matheos
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 North Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kathman
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 North Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Heard
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology; D001194:Asbestos; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D005898:Glass; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D016040:Lung Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014850:Waiting Lists
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; C009753:fiberglass; D001194:Asbestos
keywords: Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia; Interstitial lung diseases