Citation

Lee E, Seo JH, Kim HY, Yu J, Jhang WK, Park SJ, Kwon JW, Kim BJ, Do KH, Cho YA, Kim SA, Jang SJ, Hong SJ. J. Korean Med. Sci. 2013; 28(6): 915-923.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ; Childhood Asthma Atopy Center, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ; Research Center for Standardization of Allergic Diseases, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Korean Academy of Medical Science)

DOI

10.3346/jkms.2013.28.6.915

PMID

23772158

Abstract

Interstitial lung disease in children (chILD) is a group of disorders characterized by lung inflammation and interstitial fibrosis. In the past recent years, we noted an outbreak of child in Korea, which is possibly associated with inhalation toxicity. Here, we report a series of cases involving toxic inhalational injury-associated chILD with bronchiolitis obliterans pattern in Korean children. This study included 16 pediatric patients confirmed by lung biopsy and chest computed tomography, between February 2006 and May 2011 at Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital. The most common presenting symptoms were cough and dyspnea. The median age at presentation was 26 months (range: 12-47 months), with high mortality (44%). Histopathological analysis showed bronchiolar destruction and centrilobular distribution of alveolar destruction by inflammatory and fibroproliferative process with subpleural sparing. Chest computed tomography showed ground-glass opacities and consolidation in the early phase and diffuse centrilobular nodular opacity in the late phase. Air leak with severe respiratory difficulty was associated with poor prognosis. Although respiratory chemicals such as humidifier disinfectants were strongly considered as a cause of this disease, further studies are needed to understand the etiology and pathophysiology of the disease to improve the prognosis and allow early diagnosis and treatment.

Language: en