[Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis noted in a patient with thymoma]

Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai Zasshi. 2008 Jun;46(6):497-500.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

A 74-year-old woman had general fatigue and mild fever in August 2004. Her chest X-ray showed slight ground glass opacities in the upper and middle lung fields of both lungs. Though she was prescribed antibacterial drugs, the abnormal shadows on chest X-ray did not improve. The chest CT showed ground glass opacities and reticular shadows with thickened alveolar septa (crazy-paving appearance) in both lungs, and a clearly defined mass in the anterior mediastinum. She underwent thymo-thymectomy with wedge resection of the upper lobe of the left lung. Anterior mediastinum tumor was pathologically diagnosed as thymoma. Lung biopsy demonstrated alveoli filled with SP-A positive granular materials, and we diagnosed pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. About 1 month after operation, the shadows on chest CT showed improvement. We think there might be some relationship between thymoma and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers / analysis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis / diagnosis
  • Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis / etiology*
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A / analysis
  • Thymectomy
  • Thymoma / complications*
  • Thymoma / diagnosis
  • Thymoma / surgery
  • Thymus Neoplasms / complications*
  • Thymus Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Thymus Neoplasms / surgery
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A