Osificación pulmonar idiopática

Osificación pulmonar idiopática

The pulmonary ossification is a rare condition characterized by the formation of bone tissue (calcification in a collagen matrix), with or without bone marrow elements within the interstitial or alveolar compartments of the lung. The term idiopathic is used when any other disease or metabolic disorder can be demonstrated. Frequently, its clinical, functional, and radiographic presentation is similar to an interstitial lung disease and its diagnosis requires a lung biopsy.

None effective therapy is known. We report the case of a 42-year-old man who presented with dry cough, dyspnea, interstitial lung infiltrates, and mild functional compromise. A pulmonary ossification was diagnosed by open lung biopsy. Any other underlying pulmonary, cardiac, or systemic disorder was found. In the follow-up the patient hada clinical and functional worsening; we decided to start a systemic corticosteroid therapy with significant improvement.