Humidifier-associated extrinsic allergic alveolitis. 1979

A van Assendelft, and K O Forsén, and H Keskinen, and K Alanko

Three cases of allergic alveolitis due to indoor humdification systems are described. Thermoactinomyces vulgaris precipitins were detected in the serum of a 37-year-old female patient who had typical febrile attacks during exposure to cool-mist from a home humidifier. When the cause was detected and eliminated, the symptoms and signs disappeared and the woman's gas transfer factor improved from 56% to normal within six months. In a printing office a 60-year-old woman had had febrile attacks with cough for more than a year. The patient herself associated the respiratory disease with a cool-mist humidifier sometimes used at work. The water reservoir was heavily contaminated with amoebas (Amoeba proteus), which might have been the causative organisms in this case. Aspergillus fumigatus precipitins were found in the serum of a 53-year-old female printer with the clinical picture of occupational allergic alveolitis. The same organism was detected in the ambient air of the printing office.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008848 Micromonosporaceae A family of gram-positive, saprophytic bacteria occurring in soil and aquatic environments.
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009784 Occupational Diseases Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment. Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006813 Humidity A measure of the amount of WATER VAPOR in the air. Humidities
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000389 Air Conditioning The maintenance of certain aspects of the environment within a defined space to facilitate the function of that space; aspects controlled include air temperature and motion, radiant heat level, moisture, and concentration of pollutants such as dust, microorganisms, and gases. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Air Revitalization,Climate Control,Air Conditionings,Air Revitalizations,Climate Controls,Conditioning, Air,Conditionings, Air,Control, Climate,Controls, Climate,Revitalization, Air,Revitalizations, Air
D000391 Air Microbiology The presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the air. This term is not restricted to pathogenic organisms. Microbiology, Air
D000542 Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic A common interstitial lung disease caused by hypersensitivity reactions of PULMONARY ALVEOLI after inhalation of and sensitization to environmental antigens of microbial, animal, or chemical sources. The disease is characterized by lymphocytic alveolitis and granulomatous pneumonitis. Allergic Alveolitis, Extrinsic,Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis,Pneumonitis, Hypersensitivity,Allergic Alveolitides, Extrinsic,Alveolitides, Extrinsic Allergic,Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitides,Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis,Hypersensitivity Pneumonitides,Pneumonitides, Hypersensitivity

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