A case of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia after ingestion of wild rats.

Choi, Hyung Seok; Kim, Ho Jung; Lee, Hyuk Pyo; Shim, Tae Sun; Cho, Sang Heon; Kim, Young Whan; Shim, Young Soo; Kim, You Young; Kim, Tae Jin; Kim, Young Il

doi:1991.38.2.194

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 38(2); 1991 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 1991;38(2):194-201.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1991.38.2.194 Published online June 1, 1991.

A case of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia after ingestion of wild rats.

Hyung Seok Choi¹, Ho Jung Kim¹, Hyuk Pyo Lee¹, Tae Sun Shim¹, Sang Heon Cho¹, Young Whan Kim¹, Young Soo Shim¹, You Young Kim¹, Tae Jin Kim², Young Il Kim²

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Pathology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

The Pulmonary Infiltration and Eosinophilia Syndrome (PIE Syndrome) includes a wide spectrum of clinical disorders with pulmonary infiltrates and peripheral eosinophilia. It is poorly understood and ill-defined group of disorders. Often its etiology is poorly delineated. There may exist an eosinophilic type of alveolitis in the category of PIE syndrome. It shows characteristic clinical picture, peripheral eosinophilia and especially dramatic improvement following therapy with corticosteroids. We report a case of the syndrome in 43-year-old man with brief review of contemporary literature. In this case, the diagnosis was confirmed by open lung biopsy which showed characteristic eosinophilic alveolitis accompanied by peripheral eosinophilia. Corticosteroid was administered with rapid clinical improvement in this case.