High fever and multi-nodular lung consolidations after whole lung lavage in a patient with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis

INTRODUCTION: Whole lung lavage is the most effective method to treat pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP), and most potential complications occur often during the lavage process, but few happen after lavage. Theoretically, pulmonary edema would be more common after whole lung lavage. However, no such case was reported in the literature. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 47-year-old Chinese male patient with PAP was referred to our hospital for whole lung lavage treatment. Although the clinical manifestations of PAP were improved, high fever was happened and multi-nodular consolidations in chest CT scan were occurred after whole lung lavage. Secondary lung infection was suspected, but the patient was not treated with antibiotics immediately. After therapies like liquid limitation, glucocorticoid administration and diuretic treatment, the patient was improved gradually. Namely, newly nodular consolidations were almost completely absorbed in three days, along with the complete recovery of body temperature and associated inflammatory biomarkers. The diagnosis of secondary infection was excluded, and the final diagnosis of lavage fluid-induced pulmonary edema was confirmed. DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION: No such case has been reported that lavage fluid-induced pulmonary edema is manifested by high fever and multi-consolidations in chest CT scan, which is similar to the secondary infection. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, we described a rare complication of lavage fluid-induced pulmonary edema after whole lung lavage. As the obvious differences in treatments, it is very important for physicians to differentiate it from secondary infection.