Simple pulmonary eosinophilia is swelling (inflammation) of the lungs from an increase in eosinophils, a type of white blood cell.

Pulmonary infiltrates with eosinophilia; Loeffler syndrome

Most cases of simple pulmonary eosinophilia are due to an allergic reaction from:

• A drug, such as a sulfonamide antibiotic or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
• Infection with a fungus such as Aspergillus fumigatus or Pneumocystis jirovecii
• A parasite, including the roundworms Ascariasis lumbricoides, Necator americanus, or Ancylostoma duodenale (hookworms)

Images

Lungs

Respiratory system

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Simple pulmonary eosinophilia Symptoms

Review Date: 06/02/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Denis Hadjuliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, Uniersity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)