All issues > Volume 48(3); 2005

Case Report

Korean J Pediatr. 2005;48(3):327-332. Published online March 15, 2005.

A Case of Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia in Childhood

Su-Jin SJ Lee¹, Eon-Woo EW Shin¹, Eun-Young EY Park¹, Phil-Soo PS Oh¹, Kon-Hee KH Lee¹, Kwang-Nam KN Kim¹, Ho-Seung HS Shin², Il-Seung IS Lee³

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea
³Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Kon-Hee KH Lee ,Email: lkhchj@shinbiro.com

Abstract

Interstitial lung disease refers to a group of pulmonary disorders characterized by inflammation of the interstitium, derangements and loss of alveolar capillary units leading to disruption of alveolar gas exchange, which induces symptoms of restrictive lung disease. Cases of interstitial pneumonia in children are uncommon and mostly have unknown causes. We have experienced an 8-year old boy who had symptoms of cyanosis, dry cough, dyspnea and abrupt weight loss. He had not been exposed to organic dusts, allergens or any other systemic disease infections. Chest radiology showed diffuse ground glass opacity in both lung fields. High resolution computed tomography(HRCT) showed multiple small patchy areas of consolidation with an underlying ground glass appearance in both lungs. The pathologic findings of lung biopsy tissue showed patchy areas of interstitial fibrosis, alveolar obliteration and nodular fibrotic areas, strongly suggesting interstitial pneumonia. No specific finding of viral inclusion or any other evidence of infection was found under electromicroscopy. We used peak flow meters to compare functional improvement. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was decreased to 25 percent of predicted value. The boy was given treatment with prednisone and showed improvements in HRCT findings after two months. He was able to tolerate easy exercise in school and showed clinical improvements after one year of follow up.

Keywords :Interstitial pneumonia , Childhood