Abstract
A 63-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of a dry cough. His chest roentgenogram revealed ground-glass opacities and honeycomb formations bilaterally in the lower lung fields. Pulmonary function tests showed a depleted lung volume and decreased arterial oxygen tension. He was clinically diagnosed as having idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP). A β2-adrenoceptor agonist was administrated because the patient's symptoms improved after its inhalation. Following treatment with an oral β2-adrenoceptor agonist, the dry cough disappeared, lung function tests remained unchanged and an improvement in arterial oxygen tension was observed. Although β2-adrenoceptor agonist therapy does not improve disease activity or progression in patients with IIP, its use may mitigate symptoms associated with the disease.
