Ultrasonic humidifier lung with a reversed halo sign: A case report

• Published in: Radiology case reports Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 2520 - 2524
• Main Authors: Hasegawa, Tsukasa, Ryu, Kai, Fukuda, Taiki, Mizobuchi, Yuko, Yoshimatsu, Lynn, Sato, Ryo, Takatsuka, Makiko, Shinfuku, Kyota, Yamada, Masami, Yamanaka, Yumie, Hosaka, Yusuke, Seki, Aya, Takasaka, Naoki, Ishikawa, Takeo, Araya, Jun
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.2024
• ISSN: 1930-0433; 1930-0433
• DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2024.03.032

The reversed halo sign was initially reported as a representative computed tomography scan finding of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia. Since then, however, it has been reported in various diseases and is now considered a nonspecific finding. However, there are no cases of humidifier lung with the reversed halo sign. An 82-year-old Japanese male patient presented with moving difficulties 48 days after starting darolutamide treatment for prostate cancer. He was admitted to the hospital due to acute pneumonia, which presented as bilateral extensive nonsegmental ground-glass opacities in the peripheral regions and extensive areas of ground-glass opacity with a circumferential halo of consolidation, with the reversed halo sign on computed tomography scan. After darolutamide discontinuation with the concomitant administration of antibiotics, the patient's pneumonia improved, and he was discharged from the hospital. However, within a few days, he was again admitted to the hospital due to pneumonia. He was found to have been using an ultrasonic humidifier at home and was then diagnosed with humidifier lung based on the bronchoscopy and provocative testing findings. Hence, ultrasonic humidifier lung should be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with the reversed halo sign, and a detailed medical history must be taken.