Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: a report of seven patients from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.

From 1983 to 2001, 7 patients with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis were admitted to the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. Presenting symptoms varied from asymptomatic (1 patient), progressive dyspnea on exertion (4 patients) to respiratory failure (2 patients). Other symptoms included dry cough and weight loss. Gradual onset of dyspnea could be observed by average time to hospital (7 months). Early worsening of dyspnea and high-grade fever suggested a possibility of superimposed infection. Chest radiographs revealed symmetrical infiltration without lobar predominance. 4 of 7 patients were misdiagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis before diagnosis of PAP was made. Diagnosis was made by bronchoscopic examination with typical lavage fluid or pathological results; only one case need open lung biopsy. 6 of 7 patients required lung lavage to relieve dyspneic symptoms. Coinfection with Nocardia and Mycobacterium tuberculosis was found in one patient. Prognosis was good but recurrence was common.

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after heart-lung transplantation: a case report and review of literature.

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is regarded as a manifestation of chronic rejection after lung transplantation and remains the major cause of late morbidity and mortality after lung and heart-lung transplantation. The authors, herein, reported the first documented case of a patient who receiving heart-lung transplantation at our institute and developed BOS as a late complication. The patient presented 5 years after received heart-lung transplantation with progressive shortness of breath due to obstructive lung disease. He was diagnosed with BOS by typical clinical presentation, pulmonary function test and radiographic findings and there were no other identified etiologies of airway obstruction. The authors also reviewed the recent update on the diagnosis and management of BO after lung transplantation.