Evaluation of cases with hypersensitivity pneumonia: 10 year analysis

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to examine the clinical features of hypersensitivity pneumonia (HP) cases, diagnostic methods, and related conditions in our hospital, which is a reference clinic in Turkey for chest disease. METHODS: The population of this retrospective cross‐sectional study consists of all hypersensitivity pneumonia patients followed in a tertiary hospital between 2010 and 2019. The data of 78 patients were included in the analysis. Data were grouped by source of exposure (occupational, environmental, and cryptogenic) by examining the files of the patients. RESULTS: Occupational risk factors were detected in 29 (37.2%) of the cases, environmental risk factors were found in 24 (30.8%) cases, neither occupational nor environmental risk factors were detected in 25 (32%) cases, and they were evaluated as cryptogenic. The time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 15.8 ± 26.6 months. The time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was found to be longer in the group with occupational risk factors compared with the other groups and was statistically significant (0.044). CONCLUSION: HP is a immune‐mediated interstitial lung disease induced by repeated exposure to environmental and occupational antigens. Etiological agent can be detected in HP patients by detailed questioning of occupational and environmental exposure that may be associated with the onset of symptoms in cases with suspected HP.