Bronchiolitis obliterans

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Under bronchiolitis obliterans refers to a inflammation that affect the level of the bronchioles plays. The small airways become inflamed and these so-called bronchioles are obstructed by granulation tissue . There is an obstruction with expiratory flow obstruction. People with the disease have reduced lung volume as the body tried to heal the previous infection. It forms scars to reduce inflammation. These scars are very thick and bulging, for this reason the airways are often slightly, rarely severely narrowed.

Causes are previous infections, medication and autoimmune diseases. Bronchiolitis obliterans is the most important chronic rejection reaction after a lung transplant .

The formation of a fibrin exudation obstructed bronchioles and distal alveoli and leads to a disturbance of the gas exchange. In the long term, a scarred remodeling develops with the formation of collagen , which further narrows the bronchioles. The symptoms of this disease are similar to flu , and the X-ray can also be interpreted in terms of pneumonia . However, the localization of the infiltrates visible on the X-ray changes and attempts at antibiotic therapy remain unsuccessful. Rapid and long-term cortisone therapy for at least six months is necessary , otherwise serious courses are possible. Photopheresis is also used in patients whose disease does not respond to intensified immunosuppression and macrolide antibiotics .

Another possible cause, according to reports by the Washington Post, is the diacetyl found in the buttery flavor of microwave popcorn . It suggests that the rare disease is more prevalent among workers in microwave popcorn factories. This phenomenon is often referred to as "Popcorn Worker's Lung".

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Federal Department of the Interior grants reimbursement approval for extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), including the ECP immunomodulation THERAKOS® from Mallinckrodt . In: presseportal.de . ( presseportal.de [accessed on August 31, 2018]).
  2. ^ EN Schachter, "Popcorn Workers Lung". New England Journal of Medicine 2002; 347 (5): 360-1.