A Case of Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis and Acute Leukemia

Abstract

A 23 year old woman with acute leukemia had fever, non-productive cough and chest pain during the remission induction therapy. Chest X-ray film revealed hazy homogenous as well as patchy shadows. These shadows had disappeared almost completely following the antibiotic treatment. However a month later she developed high fever, cough and dyspnea. Chest X-ray film again revealed the same kind of infiltrates in the same distribution. She had gradually developed respiratory insufficiency and expired three weeks later. Autopsy findings of the lungs showed pulmonary alveolar proteinosis and pulmonary aspergillosis.