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Organizing pneumonia: Manifestation peculiarities, causes, and outcomes

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Medicine

Abstract

Introduction

Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a rare disorder which may be associated with various clinical contexts and radiological patterns.

Objectives

To evaluate prospective peculiarities of the manifestation of OP, which may improve the of characterization of the disorder.

Material and Methods

Forty consecutive patients with a biopsy proven OP were investigated. Clinical symptoms, radiographic signs, and laboratory indices (complete blood cell counts, CRP level, BAL fluid examination) were examined. All patients underwent investigation for possible underlying pathology and associations.

Results

62.5% of patients had mild-to-moderate respiratory symptoms, 17.5% had severe respiratory symptoms, while the remaining 20% were asymptomatic (an incidental finding on chest radiographs). Severity of the disease correlated with CRP level, but did not correlate with blood leukocytes. Multiple bilateral infiltrates were detected in 35%, a single infiltrate in 40%, a solitary mass in 12.5%, multiple small nodules in 10%, and diffuse ground glass appearance in 2.5% of all cases. Air bronchograms were present in 45%, cavitations in 12.5%, and pleurisy in 7.5% of all lesions. OP occurred in association with infections (53%), neoplastic diseases (23%), both (7%), and other disorders (7%). A cryptogenic origin of OP was in 10% of all cases.

Conclusion

OP mostly manifested with mild-to-moderate respiratory symptoms and single or multiple lung infiltrates. OP varied in clinical and radiological forms. OP associated mostly with infection and/or neoplasm in our patients. Other reasons and cryptogenic origins of the disorder were rare.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic of Chest Diseases, Allergology and Radiology of Vilnius University, Santariškių g. 2, Vilnius LT, 08661, Lithuania

    Edvardas Danila & Rolandas Zablockis

  2. Centre of Pulmonology and Allergology of Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių klinikos, Santariškių g. 2, Vilnius LT, 08661, Lithuania

    Edvardas Danila & Rolandas Zablockis

  3. Department of Mathematical Statistics of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saulėtekio g. 11, Vilnius LT, 10223, Lithuania

    Jolita Norkūnienė

  4. Vilnius College of Higher Education, Jasinskio g. 15, Vilnius LT, 01111, Lithuania

    Jolita Norkūnienė

  5. Lithuanian National Centre of Pathology, P. Baublio g. 5, Vilnius LT, 08406, Lithuania

    Edvardas Žurauskas

  6. Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology of Vilnius University, Čiurlionio g. 21, Vilnius LT, 03101, Lithuania

    Edvardas Žurauskas

Authors
  1. Edvardas Danila
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  2. Rolandas Zablockis
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  3. Jolita Norkūnienė
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  4. Edvardas Žurauskas
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Correspondence to Edvardas Danila.

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Danila, E., Zablockis, R., Norkūnienė, J. et al. Organizing pneumonia: Manifestation peculiarities, causes, and outcomes. cent.eur.j.med 6, 356–362 (2011). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-011-0025-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-011-0025-1

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