Eosinophil alveolitis in two patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is typically characterized by a neutrophil inflammatory pattern and to a lesser extent (<25%) a mild eosinophil alveolitis. We here present two patients with a definite usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on high-resolution computed tomography of the thorax (HRCT) which demonstrated unusually high eosinophil counts in the BALF (40% and 51%). Based on HRCT, lack of response to steroids and the disease course they were both diagnosed as IPF after a multidisciplinary team discussion. This report discusses the diagnostic and etiological considerations of a coexisting UIP pattern and an eosinophil alveolitis. We conclude that these cases illustrate that high level BALF eosinophilia (40-50%) may occur among patients with IPF.
Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergology, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
Ninna
N
Brix
Department of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
Finn
F
Rasmussen
Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergology, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
Venerino
V
Poletti
Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergology, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
Elisabeth
E
Bendstrup
Bronchoalveolar lavage; Eosinophilia; Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis