This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on Web of Science (8)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

A Distinct Subset?

Emilio B. Gonzalez, MD; Diana Hayes, MD; Victor W. Weedn, MD, JD

Arch Intern Med. 1988;148(12):2622-2624.

Abstract
• We report our second case of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) (Carrington's pneumonia) with elevated serum IgE values and present a review of the literature on this subject. Our present patient, a 55-year-old woman, had classic symptoms of dry cough, weight loss, malaise, dyspnea, night sweats, and fevers. Significant peripheral blood eosinophilia and a right upper lobe infiltrate were present. Glucocorticoid therapy caused prompt resolution of symptoms, as well as disappearance of blood eosinophilia, elevated serum IgE levels, and pulmonary shadowing. The diagnosis of CEP should not be neglected in the classification of the eosinophilic pneumonias with increased serum IgE levels. The increased serum IgE levels, when present in CEP, seem nonspecific and thus may not be useful as a diagnostic adjunct. However, measurement of IgE may be helpful in CEP, as it has been in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, to guide the dosage and duration of corticosteroid therapy.

(Arch Intern Med 1988;148:2622-2624)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Internal Medicine (Drs Gonzales and Hayes) and Pathology (Dr Weedn), University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication July 6, 1988.

Reprint requests to Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, 405 Clinical Sciences Bldg, G-59, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550 (Dr Gonzalez).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?