Acute eosinophilic pneumonia caused by nicotine-free vaping in an adolescent patient: A case report

Abstract

An 18-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with pneumonia 4 days after he initiated vaping. The patient did not show improvement after ceftriaxone and azithromycin treatment. The cell count of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) revealed 64% eosinophils and 18% lymphocytes. Based on the BALF findings, the patient met the current diagnostic criteria and was diagnosed with vaping-induced acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP). AEP caused by nicotine-free vaping is rare in Japan. Thus, in cases of AEP, the patient's history of cigarette smoking as well as vaping should be considered.