Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in a 15-year-old girl

ABSTRACT

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a diffuse lung disease characterized by the accumulation of lipoproteins derived from surfactants in the distal air space. The lack of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor is believed to contribute to macrophage dysfunction and the impaired processing of surfactants. Because the prevalence of PAP in the general population is less than 1 in 200,000, and the typical age at presentation is 35 to 50 years, PAP is a very rare disease in children. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no Korean report on PAP in children. We describe here a patient who was diagnosed with PAP at the aged 15 years.