Dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome-related lung injury without eosinophilia in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid

Intern Med. 2015;54(7):827-31. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.54.3406. Epub 2015 Apr 1.

Abstract

A 73-year-old man was admitted in respiratory failure that had subacutely progressed after five weeks of dapsone treatment for a skin rash. He also presented with fever, systemic erythroderma and liver dysfunction. Chest computed tomography showed diffuse reticular shadows with ground-glass opacity and bilateral mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Lymphocytes, but not eosinophils, were increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Moreover, reactivation of human herpes virus-6 was confirmed on a paired serum test. Finally, we diagnosed the patient with dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS), a rare adverse event of this drug. Lung injury unaccompanied by eosinophilia in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid is even more rare as a DHS-related lung manifestation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Lung Injury / chemically induced
  • Aged
  • Anti-Infective Agents / adverse effects*
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
  • Dapsone / adverse effects*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome / etiology*
  • Eosinophilia / diagnosis
  • Eosinophils / physiology
  • Fever / chemically induced
  • Humans
  • Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome / chemically induced
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Lymphatic Diseases / chemically induced
  • Lymphocytes / physiology
  • Lymphocytosis / chemically induced
  • Male
  • Mediastinal Diseases / chemically induced
  • Pruritus / drug therapy
  • Respiratory Insufficiency / chemically induced*
  • Roseolovirus Infections / chemically induced
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Dapsone