[Minocycline as a cause of acute eosinophilic pneumonia]

A rare side effect of minocycline is acute eosinophilic pneumonia. In the literature only ten cases have been reported. We report two cases of minocycline which induced (eosinophilic) alveolitis. A high fever, dry cough, dyspnoea and fatigue are the main features of the clinical picture. Peripheral blood eosinophilia and elevated total IgE content were seen in one patient. Bronchoalveolar lavage in this patient revealed eosinophilia. Transbronchial lung biopsies showed infiltration with eosinophilic granulocytes in both patients. Airway macrophages contained brown-black pigment granules. In the acute stage an important decrease in diffusion capacity was observed. The pulmonary and systemic symptoms promptly cleared up after discontinuation of minocycline. Provocation with minocycline was positive, because both patients noticed the same symptoms within one day.