Allergology International

Allergology International

Volume 68, Issue 4, October 2019, Pages 413-419
Allergology International

Invited Review Article
Eosinophilic pneumonia: A review of the previous literature, causes, diagnosis, and management

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alit.2019.05.006Get rights and content
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Abstract

Eosinophilic pneumonia (EP) is a rare disorder, comprising several heterogeneous diseases. Two major types of EP are acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP), both of which are characterized by marked accumulation of eosinophils in lung tissues and/or BAL fluid. AEP and CEP share some similarities in terms of pathophysiology, radiological findings, and treatment response to corticosteroids. However, they distinctly differ in etiology, clinical manifestations, and the nature of disease course. Especially, although AEP and CEP respond well to corticosteroids, relapse frequently occurs in patients with CEP, but rarely in those with AEP. Although CEP occasionally persists and becomes corticosteroid dependent, most patients with AEP completely recover. This article reviews previous studies and discusses the etiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment of AEP and CEP.

Keywords

Acute eosinophilic pneumonia
Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia
Pulmonary function tests
Relapse
Smoking habit

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Peer review under responsibility of Japanese Society of Allergology.