Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis with an unusual bronchoscopic complication

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare respiratory syndrome, which can be challenging to diagnose given its non‐specific presentation and imaging findings. While most primary cases of PAP have an autoimmune basis, the triggers for the disease are uncertain with occupational factors increasin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Respirology case reports 2021-11, Vol.9 (11), p.e0856-n/a
Main Authors: Sweeney, Duncan J., Munsif, Maitri, Pilcher, David, Stirling, Rob G., Leong, Tracy L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
autoimmune disease
Bronchoscopy
Case Report
Case Reports
Cellular biology
Dyspnea
interstitial lung disease
Lavage
Lungs
Lymphatic system
Microscopy
pneumothorax
radiology and other imaging
rare lung diseases
Surfactants
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Summary:Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare respiratory syndrome, which can be challenging to diagnose given its non‐specific presentation and imaging findings. While most primary cases of PAP have an autoimmune basis, the triggers for the disease are uncertain with occupational factors increasingly thought to be important. We report the unusual complication of pneumomediastinum and bilateral pneumothoraces following endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspirate in the setting of PAP. We discuss the possible physiological mechanisms of this complication, which appears to be more common in conditions with reduced lung compliance. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a rare disease which can be challenging to diagnose. We report the case of a 30‐year‐old male who developed the condition in the setting of occupational exposures and describe an unusual complication of bronchoscopy that presented management challenges.
ISSN:2051-3380
2051-3380
DOI:10.1002/rcr2.856