Open AccessThree simultaneous cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and acute lung injury caused by dichloromethane
Author(s) -
Takamura Kei,
Ogi Takahiro,
Yamamoto Makoto,
Kikuchi Keisuke
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
respirology case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.304
H-Index - 9
ISSN - 2051-3380
DOI - 10.1002/rcr2.193
Subject(s) - medicine , hypersensitivity pneumonitis , bronchoalveolar lavage , lung , bronchoscopy , pneumonitis , pathology , radiology
Three middle‐aged male patients were admitted to our hospital complaining of dry cough, dyspnoea, and fever. All three of them had cleaned a refrigerator at a Chinese noodle mill using paint remover containing dichloromethane (90%) the previous day. Chest X‐rays revealed bilateral diffuse infiltrative shadows on the lungs. We performed transbronchial lung biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage ( BAL ) via bronchoscopy for each patient. Bronchoalveolar lavage showed increased total cell count as well as lymphocyte and neutrophil fraction. Transbronchial lung biopsy revealed Masson bodies and slight lymphocyte infiltration into the alveolar septa. We diagnosed all three patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis and acute lung injury caused by exposure to the paint remover containing dichloromethane. Two of these patients ultimately went into respiratory failure, requiring the administration of a corticosteroid. The third patient improved without the need of steroid therapy.