PULMONARY GRANULOMATOSIS CAUSED BY ASPIRATED GREEN TEA

We describe the first reported case (to our knowledge) of pulmonary gr anulomatosis caused by aspirated green tea. In this case, we found gra nulomatous alveolitis with lymph follicles, T lymphocytosis with predo minantly CD8+ cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids, positive ser um precipitin and proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocyt es to the tea infusion, and efficacy of steroid therapy. These results indicate that the pathogenesis of the disease was due to both humoral and cellular immunities to the aspirated green tea.