EOSINOPHILIC LUNG-DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH CANDIDA-ALBICANS ALLERGY

A significant number of cases of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia remain idiopathic in spite of a comprehensive search of associated causes, T his study reports a patient with a classical clinical presentation of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia and peripheral blood eosinophilia in wh om selective sensitization to Candida albicans was demonstrated. This yeast was present in the bronchoalveolar lavage culture and specific s erum immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgG against C. albicans were found in th e patient's serum. Levels of these specific immunoglobulins diminished with corticosteroid treatment and increased coinciding with a new out break of symptoms after lowering the dosage of corticosteroids. To the author's knowledge, this is the first case described of chronic eosin ophilic pneumonia associated with sensitization to C. albicans. Evalua tion of allergy to C. albicans should be performed in chronic eosinoph ilic pneumonia before labelling cases as idiopathic.