Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia

Organizing pneumonia (OP) is characterized histopathology cally by tufts of fibroblasts and immature collagen filling of respiratory bronchioles and alveoli. Symptoms are usually nonspecific and include cough and dyspnea. Radiograph cally, OP frequently manifests as patchy bilateral infiltrates that can be relapsing and migratory. Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) may be defined as having non-specific symptoms which can ultimately be described as a subset of the OP that cannot be attributed to any reason. Forty-nine-year-old female patient admitted with the complaints of 2 year exertional dyspnea and 20 day dry cough. The patient was diagnosed of pneumonia and prescribed with antibiotics; however, no improvement was observed in her complaints and lung graphics. The physical examination of the patient, routine laboratory analyses, collagen tissue markers and bronchoscopy were normal. In chest X-Ray, there were 4 nodular density approximately 1 cm in size, in the upper zone. In thorax CT, there were irregular contours multiple nodules, and the biggest one was approximately 35x7 mm in the upper lobes and in the superior of the left lower lobe of lungs. Acid fast bacteria was negative at bronchoalveolar lavage. The patient was diagnosed COP as clinically and radiologically. Then, systemic cortico steroid therapy was started. A complete clinical recovery was observed in the sixth month of the treatment and at the control thorax CT displayed that nodular lesions were disappeared completely. In the cases that were not respond to antibiotic therapy and patients having radiologically mobile and temporary infiltrations may be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis.