Interstitial pneumonia induced by cyclophosphamide: A case report and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION: Recently, interstitial lung disease significantly increases and it is difficult to treat. Cyclophosphamide(CP) is one drug administrated in interstitial lung disease, which can also cause pulmonary fibrosis and lung function lesion. This article present a case which exacerbated interstitial pneumonia after treatment by CP, aiming to enhance the understanding of the side effects of CP and standardize usage of the CP. CASE PRESENTATION: A patient of nephrotic syndrome administrated with CP suffered respiratory insufficiency requiring mechanical ventilation. Computed tomography (CT) imaging was compatible with interstitial pneumonia(IP). After treating with multimodal combination therapy (corticosteroids, immune globulins), the patient survived. The clinical characteristics of CP-related lung toxicity and/or pulmonary fibrosis should be paid more attention to avoid the serious outcomes. CONCLUSION: Although interstitial lung disease induced by CP is rare, with the current widespread usage of CP increases the risks of diffuse interstitial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis, which need to be noted in time to get early treatment.