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Thorax 61:1096-1097 doi:10.1136/thx.2004.029819
  • Case Report

Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia associated with common variable immunodeficiency resolved with intravenous immunoglobulins

  1. N Arish1,
  2. R Eldor1,
  3. Y Fellig2,
  4. N Bogot3,
  5. U Laxer4,
  6. U Izhar5,
  7. A Rokach4
  1. 1Department of Medicine C, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
  2. 2Department of Pathology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
  3. 3Institute of Radiology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
  4. 4Institute of Pulmonology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
  5. 5Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr A Rokach
    Institute of Pulmonology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, P O Box 12000, Jerusalem, Israel 91120; arielr{at}hadassah.org.il
  • Received 8 June 2004
  • Accepted 14 December 2004

Abstract

Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) is a rare form of interstitial lung disease. A few case reports have described an association with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). Corticosteroids are usually used to treat symptomatic patients but their efficacy has never been studied in a controlled trial. We describe a patient with LIP and CVID who was treated monthly with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) without steroids. The patient improved dramatically. We believe that, in selected cases of LIP and immunodeficiency, IVIG given monthly should be considered as the only treatment without adding steroids.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: none.