Acute eosinophilic pneumonia caused by calcium stearate, an additive agent for an oral antihistaminic medication.

Abstract

A 70-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea after taking an antihistaminic agent (homochlorcyclizine hydrochloride) for itching. Chest roentgenogram showed infiltration in the left lung field, and laboratory data revealed eosinophilia. Examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed an increased eosinophil count. A drug lymphocyte stimulation test was positive only for calcium stearate, an additive contained in the homochlorcyclizine hydrochloride tablet. The pulmonary infiltration and clinical symptoms subsided after withdrawal of all drugs and initiation of glucocorticoid therapy. Therefore, we concluded that this patient's pulmonary disease was caused by calcium stearate, an additive for an antihistaminic drug. An allergic reaction to a drug's additive material should be considered as a rare cause of drug-induced acute eosinophilic pneumonia.

• Authors: Jun Kurai, Hiroki Chikumi, Masahiro Kodani, Takanori Sako, Masanari Watanabe, Masanori Miyata, Haruhiko Makino, Hirokazu Touge, Yutaka Hitsuda, Eiji Shimizu
• Journal: Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Intern Med) Vol. 45 Issue 17 Pg. 1011-6 ( 2006) ISSN: 1349-7235 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 17016002 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Histamine H1 Antagonists
• Stearic Acids
• Tablets
• stearic acid
• homochlorocyclizine
• Cyclizine

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Administration, Oral
• Aged
• Cyclizine (administration & dosage, adverse effects, analogs & derivatives)
• Eosinophilia (chemically induced, diagnosis, pathology)
• Histamine H1 Antagonists (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Humans
• Male
• Pruritus (drug therapy)
• Pulmonary Eosinophilia (chemically induced, diagnosis, pathology)
• Stearic Acids (administration & dosage, adverse effects, analysis)
• Tablets (chemistry)