Lung Cancer with Eosinophilia in the Peripheral Blood and the Pleural Fluid

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 525 - 529
• Main Authors: MATSUMOTO, Sachiko, TAMAI, Tomonori, YANAGISAWA, Kohsuke, KAWAMURA, Shinichi, FUJITA, Shigeru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 1992
• Subjects: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - blood; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - complications; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; eosinophil proliferating factor; Eosinophilia - blood; Eosinophilia - complications; Eosinophilia - pathology; eosinophilic pleural effusion; Eosinophils - pathology; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Lung Neoplasms - blood; Lung Neoplasms - complications; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Pleural Effusion - pathology
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.31.525

A case of lung cancer associated with eosinophilia in the peripheral blood and pleural fluid is reported. A 55-year-old man With a tumor in the right lower lung lobe and right pleural effusion was admitted to Ehime University Hospital. Histology of specimens biopsied under a bronchoscope revealed that he had poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. On admission, his peripheral blood leukocyte count was 11, 500/μl with 7.8% eosinophils and the pleural fluid showed a high eosinophil count (60.5%). After chemotherapy, blood eosinophilia disappeared and the pleural effusion was decreased with the reduction of the tumor. The patient's serum had the activity to stimulate eosinophil proliferation in human bone marrow cell culture, suggesting that the tumor may have produced an eosinophil proliferating factor. (Internal Medicine 31 : 525-529, 1992)