Journal List > Tuberc Respir Dis > v.71(6) > 1001695

Jhun, Kim, Park, Jung, Song, Han, and Chung: A Case of Interstitial Pneumonitis with Acute Live Injury Caused by Herbal Medicine Made from Golden Thread

Abstract

So far more than 350 drugs have been reported to be the cause for lung injury and the incidence tends to increase. Although infiltrative lung disease is the most common pattern of drug-induced lung injury, it can appear in the form of alveolar changes, vasculitis and other injury. Herbal medicine also has been known as a cause for interstitial pneumonitis, but it is difficult to identify the key herbal medicine because of the complex components of the contents. Till date, there is no report of pneumonitis caused by golden thread. Here we report a case of a 54-year-old male who developed interstitial pneumonitis with acute liver injury caused by herbal medicine made from golden thread.

Figures and Tables

Figure 1
Posteroanterior chest radiograph shows diffuse ground-glass opacity in the bilateral lower lung zones at admission.
trd-71-470-g001
Figure 2
Chest computed tomography shows diffuse ground glass opacity in both lung zones. Peribronchial consolidative lesions were observed in the right middle lobe and both the lower lung zones.
trd-71-470-g002
Figure 3
Abdominal and pelvic computed tomography shows a 1.2 cm low-attenuated lesion in S3 of the liver.
trd-71-470-g003
Figure 4
Microscopic findings of video-assisted thoracopscopic surgery biopsy shows patchy lymphocytic infiltration around the bronchiole and small pulmonary vessels. Small areas of subpleural fibrosis, and intraalveolar macrophages aggregation were observed (hematoxylin and eosin stain; A, ×100; B, ×400).
trd-71-470-g004
Figure 5
Microscopic findings of video-assisted thoracopscopic surgery biopsy shows many pigmented intraalveolar macrophages, peribronchial inflammation and patchy parenchymal and subpleural irregular fibrosis with lymphocytic infiltration (hematoxylin and eosin stain; A, ×100; B, ×400).
trd-71-470-g005
Figure 6
Posteroanterior chest radiograph taken after 6 months shows a normal finding on both the lung fields after steroid treatment.
trd-71-470-g006

References

1. Camus P, Bonniaud P, Fanton A, Camus C, Baudaun N, Foucher P. Drug-induced and iatrogenic infiltrative lung disease. Clin Chest Med. 2004. 25:479–519.
2. Tsukiyama K, Tasaka Y, Nakajima M, Hino J, Nakahama C, Okimoto N, et al. A case of pneumonitis due to sho-saiko-to. Nihon Kyobu Shikkan Gakkai Zasshi. 1989. 27:1556–1561.
3. Kim TG, Kim JS, Shin EA. Mixed herbal medicine induced diffuse infiltrative lung disease: the HRCT and histopathologic findings. J Korean Soc Radiol. 2010. 63:519–524.
4. Takeshita K, Saisho Y, Kitamura K, Kaburagi N, Funabiki T, Inamura T, et al. Pneumonitis induced by ou-gon (scullcap). Intern Med. 2001. 40:764–768.
5. Sakamoto O, Ichikado K, Kohrogi H, Suga M. Clinical and CT characteristics of Chinese medicine-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome. Respirology. 2003. 8:344–350.
6. Shiota Y, Wilson JG, Matsumoto H, Munemasa M, Okamura M, Hiyama J, et al. Adult respiratory distress syndrome induced by a Chinese medicine, Kamisyoyosan. Intern Med. 1996. 35:494–496.
7. Matsuno O, Okubo T, Hiroshige S, Takenaka R, Ono E, Ueno T, et al. Drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test is not useful for the diagnosis of drug-induced pneumonia. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2007. 212:49–53.
8. Yamawaki I, Katsura H, Taira M, Kadoriku C, Hashimoto I, Chiyotani A, et al. Six patients with pneumonitis related to blended Chinese traditional medicines. Nihon Kyobu Shikkan Gakkai Zasshi. 1996. 34:1331–1336.
9. Kang SH, Kim JI, Jeong KH, Ko KH, Ko PG, Hwang SW, et al. Clinical characteristics of 159 cases of acute toxic hepatitis. Korean J Hepatol. 2008. 14:483–492.
10. Xie W, Zhao Y, Zhang Y. Traditional chinese medicines in treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011. 2011:726723.
TOOLS
Similar articles