[Pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma in a woman of 72]

We report a case of pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma with the latest onset ever reported in Japan. A 72-year-old woman, a current smoker, developed dyspnea and dry cough in late January 2001. Chest radiography and CT examinations revealed numerous small nodular lesions and multiple cysts in both upper lung fields. A thoracoscopic lung biopsy revealed a granulomatous lesion composed of eosinophils and large histiocytic cells with pale eosinophilic cytoplasms and large cleaved nuclei. These cells gave a positive reaction for S-100 protein. These findings led to a diagnosis of pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma. This disease is generally reported in much younger subjects, and few cases are known in those over 60-years old. No Japanese report of histologically confirmed pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma in an older patient has previously appeared, but it may now be prudent to take this disease into consideration when diagnosing pulmonary disease in older subjects.