[Desquamative interstitial pneumopathy: a rare form of diffuse interstitial pneumopathy]

Desquamative interstitial pneumonia (PID) is a rare disorder initially described by Liebow in 1965. It is characterised by the presence of an interstitial pneumonia consisting of minimal lesions of interstitial fibrosis and by the accumulation of a rich intraalveolar cellular material principally composed of macrophages. Numerous aetiologies have been found particularly that due to long term Nitrofurantoin. We report the observation of a 57 year old patient, a cigarette smoker, in whom the diagnosis of PID was made after histological examination of a lung biopsy. Based on this observation the pathogenesis and possible different aetiologies of PID are discussed.