Bronchiolitis in a patient with ulcerative colitis treated with erythromycin

Intern Med. 2014;53(8):875-7. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.53.1826. Epub 2014 Apr 15.

Abstract

A 47-year-old man was referred to our hospital with an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray. He had a history of untreated chronic sinusitis and suspected ulcerative colitis (UC). Chest CT revealed a diffuse centrilobular granular shadow, while laboratory tests demonstrated an increased proportion of neutrophils; however, no microorganisms were detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Therefore, sinobronchial syndrome or small airway disease associated with UC was diagnosed, and the patient was treated with long-term erythromycin therapy. Small airway disease associated with UC is usually treated with steroids. Our experience shows that airway involvement in patients with inflammatory bowel disease can be treated with macrolides.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Bronchiolitis / drug therapy*
  • Bronchiolitis / epidemiology*
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / epidemiology*
  • Erythromycin / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Radiography, Thoracic
  • Sinusitis / drug therapy*
  • Sinusitis / epidemiology*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Erythromycin