Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia caused by solanine: A case report

Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) is a type of pneumonia with unknown cause, presenting with symptoms like dyspnea, fever, and cough. Solanine poisoning can cause symptoms like increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever, but there are no known cases of it causing COP.

A 43-year-old man had a dry cough, worse at night, with phlegm and chest tightness after eating sprouted potatoes. No history of surgeries or family medical issues.

Laboratory tests and metagenomic next-generation sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the bilateral lower lobes did not yield a definitive pathogen. Further evaluation included testing for vasculitis-associated antibodies and rheumatologic immune markers for myositis spectra to rule out connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease as the etiology of organizing pneumonia. As a result, the final diagnosis was determined to be COP.

The patient received glucocorticoid therapy and oxygen therapy, and responded well to the treatment.

On the 10th day of hospitalization, the patient was discharged with success. A follow-up chest CT conducted over a month later revealed that the lesions in both lungs had essentially resolved, with only minor residual fibrotic changes present.

Regularly monitoring disease progression is crucial for patients with solanine poisoning who have pulmonary symptoms. Promptly conducting chest CT scans and bronchoscopy is advised to check for any infections. It is also important to rule out pneumonia related to connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease and provide appropriate treatment promptly.