Transient pulmonary infiltration with blood eosinophilia (loeffler's syndrome)

408 Transient philia.

THE

Lung

Consolidation

SSderling,

B. :

JOURNAL,

OF

in Asthmatic

Arch.

Dis.

ALLE#RGY

Children

Childhood

14:

With

Reference

to Eosino-

22, 1930.

The author points out, that what has been described on the continent as Loeffler’s syndrome (transient pulmonary infiltrations with blood eosinophilia) and what Egel of Shanghai has called “edema aZZe~giczcm pulmonis” in patients with seasonal ‘ ‘ privet cough, ’ ’ and several cases of transient lung consolidation in asthmatic children reported by him are probably all instances of the same clinical syndrome. Loeffler emphasized the transient and wandering nature of the pulmonary infiltration, the comparative absence of clinical signs and symptoms, and the eosinophilia which could reach as high as 66 per cent and which spoke for an “anaphylactoid” process. Egel described an interesting summer cough in a large percentage of the inhabitants of China which was commonly referred to as privet cough, privet being a species of Liyusfrum flowering at the time. Ak certain number of patients also showed transient pulmonary consolidations and a blood eosinophilia, although not particularly ill. Siiderling feels that the transience of the consolidation should be stressed more The latter may even be absent. Furthermore, than the eosinophilia of the blood. the occurrence of the complaint in asthmatic persons should bc emphasized as also the possibility of a simultaneous infection which may change the blood picture, the otherwise normal sedimentation rate and the general condition of the patient. Hc feels that x-ray examination is essential to diagnosis.

Transient Weber,

Pulmonary F. Parkes:

Infiltration Brit.

With

J. Child.

Blood Eosinophilia Dis.

36:

(Loefller’s

Syndrome).

15, 1939.

This is another report .dealing with a case in :I bo,v 10 years of age in which there occurred opacity of the lung in the x-ra>Mm, eosinophilia, and absence of the usual signs of infection. The patient gave a history suggesting a chronic vasomotor rhinitis, and he had dermographism. The possible relationship to similar cases described as pneumonitis by- Dr. A. M. Bill, in the Rritish Medical Jo~rn.&, which neither showed eosinophilia nor gave a history of allergy, is discussed.

The Treatment of Infectional Asthma in Children With Filtrates of Cultures of Upper Respiratory Pathogenic Bacteria. Stevens, F. A.: J. Pediat. 14: 307, 1939. Feeling that children offer the best conditions for studying the effects of immunization with bacterial filtrates, Stevens selected 53 instances which he felt In the majority asthma occurred only in the represented infectional asthma. winter after “colds.” Onset had usually followed pertussis, pneumonia, a severe Intraor a series of colds of increasing severity. upper respiratory infection, cutaneous tests with the common inhalants and important foods were all negative, and during the course of treatment sensitivities in these two groups did not come Twenty-one had had previous unsatisfactory treatment for one or two to light. years. The treatments were given twice a week for several months, then weekly until the following summer. From 0.1 C.C. of a 1:lOO dilution to 1.0 cc. of the original filtrate was used. The filtrate,s were from mixtures of autogenous and stock cultures and represented all the pathogens ordinarily found by nose and throat cultures. Skin tests were not thought to have any significance etiologically or as a In 34 children an attack of asthma occurred within twelve guide in treatment. hours of an injection at some time in their series of treatments. In 3 an almost