Sarcoidosis in the Setting of Idiopathic Chronic Bronchiolitis with Airway Colonization from P. aeruginosa: Treatment with Low-Dose Macrolides

Rocco Trisolini; Alessandra Cancellieri; Daniela Paioli; Marcellino Burzi; Paolo Orlandi; Marco Patelli

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.47.0675

CASE REPORTS

Sarcoidosis in the Setting of Idiopathic Chronic Bronchiolitis with Airway Colonization from P. aeruginosa: Treatment with Low-Dose Macrolides

Rocco Trisolini, Alessandra Cancellieri, Daniela Paioli, Marcellino Burzi, Paolo Orlandi, Marco Patelli

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Keywords: bronchiolitis, bronchoscopy, diffuse panbronchiolitis, macrolides, P. aeruginosa, sarcoidosis

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2008 Volume 47 Issue 6 Pages 537-542

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.47.0675

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Abstract

It has long been suggested that infectious agents may trigger sarcoidosis through their infectious or antigenic properties. A patient with airway colonization from P. aeruginosa in the setting of idiopathic bronchiolitis (IB) mimicking diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) developed sarcoidosis. Impressive clinical and radiological improvement of both bronchiolitis and sarcoidosis features was achieved with a one-year treatment with low-dose erythromycin, thus suggesting a possible link between the two conditions in this specific case. Pathogenic hypotheses and therapeutic implications are specifically discussed.

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