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ENCYCLOPEDIA INDEX

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Simple pulmonary eosinophilia (Loeffler's syndrome)

Alternative Names:

Pulmonary infiltrates with eosinophilia; Eosinophilic pneumonia; Loeffler's syndrome

Symptoms:

Note: Symptoms range from none at all to severe. They will usually go away without treatment.

Signs and tests:

Listening to the chest with a stethoscope may reveal rales(crackle-like sounds that suggest inflammation of the lung tissue).
A bronchoscopy with washing may show a large number of eosinophils.
Sputum, bronchoscopically obtained washing, and gastric lavage may reveal larvae of the ascaris worm.
A CBC or WBC count shows increased white blood cells, particularly eosinophils.
Chest X-ray usually reveals abnormal shadows (infiltrates) that disappear with time, or may reappear in different areas of the lung.

Lungs