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Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis and Pulmonary Vasculitis with Eosinophilia in a Patient Taking an L-Tryptophan Preparation
- William D. Travis, MD;
- Michael E. Kalafer, MD;
- Howard S. Robin, MD; and
- F. J. Luibel, MD
Excerpt
Dietary intake of L-tryptophan tablets has recently been found to be associated with a potentially fatal disorder called the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (1, 2). This disorder is primarily characterized by peripheral blood eosinophilia and severe myalgias. We report a case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and pulmonary vasculitis associated with eosinophilia in a patient taking an L-tryptophan preparation.
Case Report A 70-year-old woman presented with a 1- to 2-week history of fatigue and weakness, cough with brown sputum, and several days of progressive dyspnea associated with bifrontal headache. An outpatient chest radiograph, 2 days before admission, showed bilateral perihilar and lower-lobe alveolar infiltrates,
This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.
Article and Author Information
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From the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; and Sharp Cabrillo Hospital, San Diego, California. For current author addresses, see end of text.
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Requests for Reprints: William D. Travis, MD, Laboratory of Pathology, Building 10, Room 2N212, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
