Parasitic lung diseases

Parasitic lung diseases occur because of transient migration of parasites in the lung or because of a subsequent immunologic reaction. The purpose of this review is to scan for any recent developments in the epidemiology, diagnostics and treatment of these exotic diseases.

Disease is mostly seen in endemic countries, but with international travel, globalization and mass migration, together with their late presentations, these diseases can present worldwide, often mimicking other conditions. The expansion of immunosuppressive and chemotherapeutic agents has led to some increase in the susceptibility to parasitic infection and parasitic hyper-infection syndromes.

In this review, we consider the principle pulmonary parasites of medical significance, their natural history, clinical and radiological features, and their management.