Open AccessA Novel Cause of Eosinophilic Pneumonia
Author(s) -
Peter D. Liebling,
Stanton Siu
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of bronchology and interventional pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.648
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1944-6586
pISSN - 1948-8270
DOI - 10.1097/lbr.0b013e31828caa0d
Subject(s) - medicine , eosinophilic pneumonia , eosinophilia , bronchoalveolar lavage , etiology , parenchyma , pulmonary eosinophilia , pathology , eosinophilic , wheeze , hypereosinophilic syndrome , pneumonia , lung , asthma , immunology , dermatology
Eosinophilic pneumonia is characterized by pulmonary infiltrates visible on radiography, eosinophilic infiltration into the lung parenchyma, and frequent peripheral eosinophilia. The etiology may be idiopathic or secondary to identifiable causes, including drugs, parasites, toxins, infections, or systemic diseases such as hypereosinophilic syndrome. A 60-year-old man was seen in pulmonary clinic with 4 weeks of cough and wheeze. He was found to have pulmonary infiltrates, a peripheral eosinophilia, and bronchoalveolar lavage demonstrated numerous eosinophils. Careful review of history revealed that the symptoms had started after a recreational exposure to marijuana from a different source than usual. Eosinophilic pneumonia from marijuana has been described once in conjunction with tobacco smoke in the pediatric literature, but to our knowledge this is the first report in the adult literature.