J Korean Med Sci.  2016 Feb;31(2):247-253. 10.3346/jkms.2016.31.2.247.

Clinical Characteristics and Factors Influencing the Occurrence of Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia in Korean Military Personnel

• Yoon CG
• Kim SJ
• Kim K
• Lee JE
• Jhun BW

• KMID: 2360049
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2016.31.2.247

Abstract

Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is an uncommon inflammatory lung disease, and limited data exist concerning the clinical characteristics and factors that influence its occurrence. We retrospectively reviewed the records of AEP patients treated at Korean military hospitals between January 2007 and December 2013. In total, 333 patients were identified; their median age was 22 years, and all were men. All patients presented with acute respiratory symptoms (cough, sputum, dyspnea, or fever) and had elevated levels of inflammatory markers including median values of 13,185/microL for white blood cell count and 9.51 mg/dL for C-reactive protein. All patients showed diffuse ground glass opacity/consolidation, and most had pleural effusion (n = 265; 80%) or interlobular septal thickening (n = 265; 85%) on chest computed tomography. Most patients had normal body mass index (n = 255; 77%), and only 30 (9%) patients had underlying diseases including rhinitis, asthma, or atopic dermatitis. Most patients had recently changed smoking habits (n = 288; 87%) and were Army personnel (n = 297; 89%).The AEP incidence was higher in the Army group compared to the Navy or Air Force group for every year (P = 0.002). Both the number of patients and patients with high illness severity (oxygen requirement, intensive care unit admission, and pneumonia severity score class > or = III) tended to increase as seasonal temperatures rose. We describe the clinical characteristics of AEP and demonstrate that AEP patients have recently changed smoking habits and work for the Army. There is an increasing tendency in the numbers of patients and those with higher AEP severity with rising seasonal temperatures.

Keyword

Pulmonary Eosinophilia; Clinical Characteristics; Demography; Factors; Army; Seasonal

MeSH Terms

Acute Disease
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
C-Reactive Protein/analysis
Cough/etiology
Dyspnea/etiology
Fever/etiology
Humans
Incidence
Leukocyte Count
Male
Military Personnel
Pleural Effusion/complications/diagnosis/radiography
Pulmonary Eosinophilia/complications/*diagnosis/pathology
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Retrospective Studies
Seasons
Severity of Illness Index
Smoking
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Young Adult
C-Reactive Protein

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Typical chest computed tomography findings in patients with acute eosinophilic pneumonia. Diffuse bilateral ground-glass opacity and interlobular septal thickening are seen in both lungs.

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  Fig. 2 Incidence of AEP according to military service per year.

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  Fig. 3 Levels of C-reactive protein in patients with AEP according to season.

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