Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis
- 1 September 1963
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of internal medicine (1960)
- Vol. 112 (3) , 419-431
- https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1963.03860030173021
Abstract
Since the description by Rosen, Castleman, and Liebow1of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, various empiric methods of treatment have been proposed. Clinical improvement was noted in 3 of 21 cases during therapy with corticosteroids1-10and radiographic improvement on two11,12of seven patients9,11,12,14treated with potassium iodide. One of the two patients12who improved while receiving oral iodides also received streptokinase-streptodornase by aerosol. Aerosol therapy has been associated with clinical and rediographic improvement in three other cases—one received streptokinase-streptodornase15and two trypsin.8,9One patient8tolerated trypsin aerosol therapy for only six days, but the oral intake of 400 units of trypsin-chymotrypsin daily was associated with progressive clearing of the chest x-ray film. The efficacy of these regimens is still in question, however, since spontaneous remissions have been reported1and clinical observations in this rare disease have been, by necessity, limited and uncontrolled. This communicationThis publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: