Chronic Idiopathic Pneumonitis of the Cholesterol Type as a Surgical Problem

Abstract

Chronic idiopathic or primary pneumonitis of the cholesterol type is a unilateral or bilateral lung disease of unknown etiology. It can only be diagnosed by histopathology. The unilateral cases are a diagnostic problem; the main difficulty is differentiation from lung cancer.

Of five cases diagnosed by histopathology in 1964–66, two cases successfully treated with lobectomy were presented. One of them gave no symptoms at all, and the other was operated within less than a month of the onset of symptoms.

A short review was given of the literature on chronic idiopathic pneumonitis of the cholesterol type, and the histopathological findings in this disease and in pulmonary alveolar proteinosis were compared. The comparison was made possible by the early operation of one of the patients.