ALLERGIC ALVEOLITIS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO EPOXY POLYESTER POWDER PAINT CONTAINING LOW AMOUNTS (LESS-THAN-1-PERCENT) OF ACID ANHYDRIDES

Only one case report concerning allergic alveolitis caused by polyeste r powder paint has been published previously, The aim of this study wa s to determine whether phthalic anhydride (PA) or trimellitic anhydrid e (TMA) Is the alveolitis-causing agent in such paint. A 61, year old woman showed recurrent symptoms of chills, cough, and fever whilst at work She was working in a plant where epoxy polyester powder paints we re used to paint metal, The paint was found to contain low (<1%) amoun ts of TMA and PA, The patient showed shadowing on chest radiographs, I n bronchoalveolar lavage, lymphocytosis (67%) and a low T-helper/T-sup pressor ratio (0.2) were found, Transfer factor was within normal limi ts, but a slight reduction was verified after re-exposure to the paint . The symptoms, exposure, reduction in transfer factor, findings on ch est radiographs and bronchoalveolar lavage were consistent with allerg ic alveolitis, In conclusion, the polyester ponder paint used in the p lant caused allergic alveolitis in this patient, Of the constituents i n the paint, trimellitic anhydride and phthalic anhydride were the pos sible causative agents.