XXXX : experience with 34 cases and a review.

@entity1 @entity662 @entity66 @entity1353 @entity1503 @entity281 @entity358 @entity204
A retrospective review of Mayo Clinic records through 1983 revealed 84 @entity1 (24 male and 10 female; mean age, 41 years) with the diagnosis of @entity358 . The major clinical features were @entity1353 , cough, fever, and @entity662 . Chest roentgenograms usually showed bilateral symmetric alveolar infiltrates, but asymmetric, unilateral, and chronic patchy patterns were also noted. Diagnosis was established by thoracotomy-lung biopsy in 26 @entity1 . Histologic analysis revealed uniform filling of the alveoli by periodic acid-Schiff-positive material and maintenance of normal alveolar architecture. Electron microscopy showed enlarged alveolar macrophages with lamellar osmiophilic inclusions, dense granules, and myeloid bodies. Of the 21 @entity1 who underwent therapeutic bronchoalveolar lavage, 13 had no recurrence of the disease during a mean follow-up of 8.8 years. In @entity1 who underwent pulmonary function testing both before and after lavage, significant @entity66 present before the procedure were alleviated afterward. Three @entity204 occurred among the 34 @entity1 . @entity358 may result from defective clearance of phospholipids by the alveolar macrophages, excessive production of phospholipids by type II pneumocytes, or both. It is likely a nonspecific response to a variety of injuries to the alveolar macrophage or type II pneumocyte or both, including exposure to certain dusts and chemicals and occurrence of @entity1503 or @entity281 . The uncommon occurrence of this disorder suggests individual susceptibility.
