Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: lessons for diagnosis and treatment of a rare entity in children

Creators: Griese, Matthias and Haug, Melanie and Hartl, Dominik and Teusch, Veronika and Glöckner-Pagel, Judith and Brasch, Frank and National EAA Study Group
Title: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: lessons for diagnosis and treatment of a rare entity in children
Item Type: Article or issue of a publication series
Journal or Series Title: Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases : OJRD
Page Range: p. 121
Date: 2013
Divisions: Gesundheitsmanagement
Abstract: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) also called exogenous allergic alveolitis = extrinsic allergic alveolitis in children is an uncommon condition and may not be recognized and treated appropriately. To assess current means of diagnosis and therapy and compare this to recommendations, we used the Surveillance Unit for Rare Paediatric Disorders (ESPED) to identify incident cases of HP in Germany during 2005/6. In addition, cases of HP reported for reference from all over Germany to our center in the consecutive year were included. Twenty-three children with confirmed pediatric HP were identified. All (age 9.4 y (4.4-15.1) presented with dyspnoea at rest or with exercise, mean FVC was 39% of predicted, seven of the 23 children already had a chronic disease state at presentation. IgG against bird was elevated in 20, and against fungi in 15. Bronchoalveolar lavage was done in 18 subjects (41% lymphocytes, CD4/CD8 1.99), and lung biopsy in 6. Except 2, all children were treated with prolonged courses of systemic steroids. Outcome was not favourable in all cases. Late diagnosis in up to a quarter of the children with HP and inappropriate steroid treatment must be overcome to improve management of HP. Inclusion of children with HP into international, web-based registry studies will help to study and follow up such rare lung diseases.
Forthcoming: No
Link eMedia: Download
Citation:

Griese, Matthias and Haug, Melanie and Hartl, Dominik and Teusch, Veronika and Glöckner-Pagel, Judith and Brasch, Frank and National EAA Study Group (2013) Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: lessons for diagnosis and treatment of a rare entity in children. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases : OJRD, 8 (1). p. 121. ISSN 1750-1172

Actions for admins (login required)

View Item in edit mode View Item in edit mode