PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - ELENA BARGAGLI
AU  - MARCO PALAZZI
AU  - FRANCESCO PERRI
AU  - ELENA TORRICELLI
AU  - ELISABETTA ROSI
AU  - ALESSANDRA BINDI
AU  - MASSIMO PISTOLESI
AU  - LUCA VOLTOLINI
TI  - Fibrotic Lung Toxicity Induced by Hydroxycarbamide
DP  - 2017 Nov 01
TA  - In Vivo
PG  - 1221--1223
VI  - 31
IP  - 6
4099  - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/31/6/1221.short
4100  - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/31/6/1221.full
SO  - In Vivo2017 Nov 01; 31
AB  - A patient treated for 4 months with hydroxycarbamide (hydroxyurea) for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia was admitted to hospital for recently developed severe dyspnea and acute respiratory failure. The computed tomographic scan of the chest showed diffuse ground glass opacities, some centrilobular low-density nodules (resembling hypersensitivity pneumonitis-like pattern), and minimal interstitial reticulation of the subpleural region. The analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid excluded infection, as did serological examinations. The patient was started on oxygen therapy and with relief of thrombocytopenia and suspected hemolytic anemia, hydroxyurea treatment was discontinued. The patient underwent steroid therapy, with a rapid progressive improvement of clinical and radiological features. As hydroxyurea is increasingly used for a number of systemic disorders, physicians must be aware of its potential lung toxicity, requiring immediate cessation of the treatment and empiric corticosteroid therapy.