1/12. Pulmonary sarcoidosis: calcified micronodular pattern simulating pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis.A case of sarcoidosis demonstrating an unusual pattern of profuse micronodular calcification is presented. The striking similarity with the so-called pathognomonic appearance of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis and the progressive deterioration of pulmonary function are emphasized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/12. Radioisotope bone scanning in pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis.A 30-year-old woman was examined for a history of exertional breathlessness, swelling of her feet, and a mild dry cough of 4 to 5 months' duration. Her symptoms developed during the last month of her pregnancy, with gradually increasing dyspnea, swelling of the feet, and reduced urinary output. There was no history of expectoration, hemoptysis, chest pain, or tuberculosis. General physical examination showed no evidence of clubbing of the nails or lymphadenopathy. Chest auscultation revealed a few end-inspiratory crepitations at both lung bases. Bronchial alveolar lavage showed calcium particles, whereas results of the transbronchial lung biopsy were consistent with alveolar microlithiasis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/12. Pulmonary alveolar lithiasis in two siblings.Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disease of unknown etiology and is characterized by the deposition of calcium phosphate microliths within the alveolar airspaces. We report 2 asymptomatic siblings, a 7-year-old girl and her 13-year-old brother, with PAM. In the girl, chest X-ray and computed tomography revealed diffuse interstitial changes but no uptake of technetium 99m (99mTc) on bone scan was noted in the lung. Microliths stained pink with Papanicolaou dye in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) but did not stain with von Kossa. In the brother, characteristic radiological findings and 99mTc uptake in the lung were detected. The microliths stained pink with Papanicolaou in BALF and black with von Kossa as well. We hypothesize that the first case is in the early phase of PAM because of lack of 99mTc uptake.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.4keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/12. Treatment and follow-up of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis with disodium editronate: radiological demonstration.A 9-year-old girl with pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis is presented. She was asymptomatic except for failure to thrive. Plain chest radiographs on admission showed sand-like opacities with calcific densities throughout both lung fields, predominantly in the lower zones. A black pleural line was also seen between the ribs and lung parenchyma. High-resolution CT (HRCT) revealed diffuse ground-glass opacities throughout both lungs, micronodular densities, interlobular septal thickening, linear calcifications along the pleura and a few scattered subpleural cysts. Disodium editronate, which is known to inhibit the microcrystal growth of hydroxyapatite, was started at 10 mg/kg per day orally. After 1 year of therapy, considerable regression of the calcific densities was detected on chest radiographs and HRCT scans.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/12. Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis after Varicella zoster infection in a patient presenting with antiphospholipid syndrome and discoid lupus.We present a case with diagnosis of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis that illustrates the appearance of this rare chronic lung disease on conventional chest X-ray, high-resolution CT, and transbronchial lung biopsy. This is the first case reported which developed pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis after Varicella zoster infection in a patient with antiphospholipid antibodies and discoid lupus.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/12. Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis in childhood: clinical and radiological follow-up.This report describes a case of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis that was diagnosed in an 8.5-year-old girl by high-resolution computed tomography (CT) and open lung biopsy. Presence of symptoms (productive cough, fever), their periodic occurrence (lasting up to 1 week), and comparatively long asymptomatic periods should be emphasized. Despite extensive X-ray abnormalities, tests of pulmonary interstitium involvement and exercise tests revealed normal results. A therapeutic regimen, including disodium etidronate, was administered for 18 months with no significant clinical or radiological improvement.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/12. [Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis: clinical and radiological course of three cases according to conventional radiology and HRCT. A hypothesis for radiological classification]Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare chronic disease of unknown etiology and pathogenesis. The disease is characterized by the diffuse presence in the alveoli of minute calcific deposits known as microliths. In most cases patients have mild clinical symptoms, contrasting with the severe radiographic appearance: this is a typical feature that should raise the suspicion of PAM. The first to describe the clinical and radiographic aspects of the disease, as well as the first case series, was the radiologist Sosman. In recent years, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) has made it possible to define the extent and severity of the disease more precisely, and has demonstrated calcifications in anatomical sites that could not be shown by conventional radiology. The present paper describes the radiological evolution of the disease, and suggests a classification based on the radiographic and HRCT follow-up of the three clinical cases: two young patients followed up for 24 and 11 years and one elderly man who is still alive and is the PAM case with the longest survival since diagnosis, over 50 years, to be reported in the international literature.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/12. Absence of pulmonary uptake of Tc-99m methylenediphosphonate in alveolar microlithiasis.Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by accumulation of calcific concretions in the alveolar spaces. The paper reports a case of PAM in a 56-year-old male. The patient had persistent dry cough, and gradually progressive dyspnea on exertion. The diagnosis was established on the basis of roentgenography and confirmed by the sputum and transbronchial biopsy findings. Scintigraphy revealed the absence of Tc-99m methylenediphosphonate uptake of lungs. Familial occurrence was not observed. Chest roentgenogram, pulmonary function, and clinical status of the patient have remained stable for 41 months. Radiological and clinical follow-up of the disease continues.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/12. Familial occurrence of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis in 3 siblings.Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by intra-alveolar calcium deposits. More than 500 cases were reported in the literature. The disorder affects people at every age beginning from the early childhood. It occurs probably as a result of autosomal recessive transmission. Familial occurrence is often found with family history of the disease being present in up to 50% of the reported cases. We report PAM in 3 siblings.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/12. Elevated serum surfactant protein A and D in pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis.Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disease characterized by widespread localization of calcispherites in the alveolar spaces. The authors report two cases of PAM, with markedly elevated sera concentrations of surfactant protein-A and surfactant protein-D, which showed a tendency to increase as the disease progressed. Therefore, surfactant protein-A and surfactant protein-D may function as serum markers to monitor the disease activity and progression of PAM.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2keywords = alveolar (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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