Clinical characteristics of patients with chronic eosinophilic pneumonia in a Chinese tertiary‐care hospital: A 6‐year retrospective study

INTRODUCTION: Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) is a rare disease with unknown etiology. Due to lack of specificity of CEP symptoms, clinicians are not experienced in establishing its diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: To summarize the clinical data of CEP patients to improve the understanding of CEP and reduce misdiagnosis. METHODS: Data of patients pathologically diagnosed with CEP in the PLA General Hospital between May 2013 and May 2019 were collected, and clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, pathological features, and treatment were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty patients, including 6 males and 14 females, were diagnosed with CEP. The average age was 47.0 ± 10.2 years. The main clinical manifestations were cough and dyspnea. The average duration of CEP was 15.5 ± 11.5 months. The average proportion of eosinophils in the peripheral blood was 18.9 ± 17.8%, and the average proportion of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was 41.5 ± 19.4%. The main imaging features were patchy shadows and consolidation shadows. The most common manifestations on bronchoscopic examination were congestion and edema of the bronchial mucosa. Two patients had granular protrusions of the endotracheal membrane. Histological examination indicated infiltration of numerous eosinophils. All patients improved after prednisone therapy. CONCLUSION: CEP onset is insidious, and clinical manifestations lack specificity. Typical imaging features are peripheral and subpleural distribution of lung infiltrates. Some patients have a normal proportion of eosinophils in the peripheral blood, but most have an increased number of eosinophils in the BALF, which contributes to CEP diagnosis. A biopsy is necessary when differential diagnosis is difficult. A systemic glucocorticoid is effective.