Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a rare but potentially treatable disease, characterized by impaired surfactant metabolism that leads to accumulation in the alveoli of proteinaceous material rich in surfactant protein and its component. Novel insights from an animal model aided the discovery of granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) antibodies as a pathogenetic mechanism in human pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. The vast majority of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis occurs as an autoimmune disease; less commonly, it is congenital or secondary to an underlying disorder such as infection, hematological malignancy, or immunodeficiency. The subacute indolent course of this disease often delays the diagnosis by months to years. Crazy-paving appearance in a geographic distribution is a characteristic feature of this disease visible on high-resolution computed tomography (CT). A definitive diagnosis, however, requires lung biopsy, which typically shows partial or complete filling of alveoli with periodic-acid-Schiff-positive granular and eosinophilic material in preserved alveolar architecture. Patients with minimal symptoms are managed conservatively, whereas patients with hypoxemia require a more aggressive approach. Whole-lung lavage is the most widely accepted therapy for symptomatic pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Correction of GM-CSF deficiency with exogenous GM-CSF is an alternative therapy. The combination of a systemic treatment (GM-CSF) and a local treatment (whole-lung lavage) augmenting the action of one another is a promising new approach. As the knowledge about this rare disease increases, the role of novel therapies is likely to be better defined and optimized.