Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia due to visceral larva migrans

Abstract

A 38-year-old woman presented with worsening cough, blood eosinophilia, and pulmonary infiltrates. Bronchoalveolar lavage showed 96.4% eosinophils. The diagnosis of visceral larva migrans (VLM) was made based on the positive results in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for Toxocara canis together with clinical symptoms and laboratory data. Pulmonary infiltrates due to VLM generally manifest as a transient form of Löffler's syndrome or simple eosinophilic pneumonia mainly in children. Here we report an adult case of VLM, with pulmonary infiltrates pathologically proven to be eosinophilic pneumonia, which persisted for 7 weeks before anthelmintic treatment with albendazole and manifested as chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.