A RAPIDLY PROGRESSIVE CASE OF INTERSTITIAL PNEUMONIA

We treated a 51-year-old woman who had rapidly progressive respiratory distress with an interstitial shadow on chest roentgenogram. Patholog ically, open lung biopsy specimens showed an acutely changed lesion su ch as interstitial inflammatory thickening, polypoid intraluminal orga nizing exudates, and also honeycombing which was not recognized on che st computed tomogram. These findings were considered unconformable to acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP), bronchiolitis obliterans organizin g pneumonia (BOOP), and also usual interstitial pneumonia, although th e clinical diagnosis was AIP or BOOP. We diagnosed a rapidly progressi ve interstitial pneumonia showing an acute lung injury pattern like AI P and BOOP, She showed significant recovery with corticosteroid and cy clophosphamide.