Lung infiltrates in cancer patients: differentiating metastases from bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia

• Published in: Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 195 - 197
• Main Authors: La Verde, Nicla, Piva, Sheila, Colombo, Fabio, Borgonovo, Karen, Gramegna, Giovanni, Girelli, Serena, Dimaiuta, Mariastella, Galfrascoli, Elena, Battaglia, Emilia, Farina, Gabriella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa Healthcare 01.02.2013; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: bladder cancer; BOOP; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - surgery; chemotherapy; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia - diagnosis; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia - pathology; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Lung inflammatory lesions; Lung Neoplasms - diagnosis; Lung Neoplasms - secondary; Middle Aged; patchy lung infiltrates; Treatment Outcome; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - drug therapy; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - pathology; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - surgery
• ISSN: 0892-3973; 1532-2513
• DOI: 10.3109/08923973.2012.733706

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a rare condition that affects oncological patients, often during or after chemotherapy, and can easily be mistaken for lung metastases. BOOP should be taken into consideration in cases when patchy nodular infiltrates with uncertain behavior appear in the lung; these infiltrates are often unresponsive to treatment with antibiotics. We report a case in which a patient treated for transitional cell bladder carcinoma with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy developed multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules one month after the end of treatment.