Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis: a Case Report in King Hussein Medical Center (KHMC), Amman, Jordan

Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disorder that can affect patients at any age, although it is more common to present in the third and fourth decades of life. Most patients are asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. However, some may present with symptoms of dyspnea or cough. PAM can be sporadic, or it can be hereditary.

To focus on the importance of using chest CT scans along with bone scintigraphy to aid in the diagnosis of PAM. The importance of screening all family members is also addressed.

In our case, the patient was a 21-year-old male, coming for routine check-up to be recruited in the army. He was referred to our clinic after the examining doctor noticed that his chest X-Ray was not normal. Upon revising his chest X-ray, he was found to have bilateral fine reticular infiltrates. His physical examination was unremarkable. His spirometry and DLCO were normal. A high-resolution chest CT scan was done, and showed diffuse bilateral microcalcifications with bilateral interstitial and septal thickening. To confirm the diagnosis of PAM, a Technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate (Tc-99m MDP) whole body bone scintigraphy was done, and it showed diffusely increased radiotracer uptake in both lungs. His family members were screened for PAM. His father and sister, who were completely asymptomatic and with normal pulmonary function tests, were found to have PAM as well.

The use of bone scintigraphy plays an integral role in diagnosing patients with radiological findings consistent with PAM, and it can diagnose PAM without the need for invasive procedures. Once diagnosed, screening of all family members for PAM should be done, even when they are asymptomatic, as more than one-third of the cases have a familial pattern.