Three Cases of Idiopathic Diffuse Pulmonary Ossification

Intern Med. 2019 Feb 15;58(4):545-551. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.0929-18. Epub 2018 Oct 17.

Abstract

Diffuse pulmonary ossification (DPO) is an uncommon diffuse lung disease characterized by metaplastic bone formation in the lung parenchyma and is rarely diagnosed in life. While DPO usually occurs as a secondary disease, idiopathic cases are extremely rare. We describe three cases of idiopathic DPO, two of which were definitively diagnosed by surgical lung biopsy. One case was observed in a 43-year-old man with a history of recurrent pneumothorax who developed pneumothorax after the surgical biopsy. Few reports have described cases of DPO with recurrent pneumothorax; however, pneumothorax should be considered as a potential complication when such patients are encountered.

Keywords: diffuse lung disease; ectopic bone formation; pneumothorax; pulmonary ossification.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biopsy
  • Humans
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / complications*
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / diagnosis
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Ossification, Heterotopic / complications*
  • Ossification, Heterotopic / diagnosis
  • Ossification, Heterotopic / physiopathology*
  • Osteogenesis*
  • Pneumothorax / etiology*
  • Pneumothorax / therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome