Eosinophilic Lung Diseases

Abstract

Eosinophilic lung disease broadly describes a diverse group of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases and airway disorders unified by the presence of marked pulmonary eosinophila and/or peripheral blood eosinophilia, and varying patterns of physiological, gas exchange, or radiographic abnormalities. Depending on the specific cause, other compartments of the lung including the blood vessels and/or pleura may also be affected. These disorders may be idiopathic and restricted to the lung or part of a systemic eosinophilic syndrome. Diagnosis remains challenging given the diverse clinicoradiologic patterns that may be seen, as well as the potential for overlapping clinical manifestations among the competing diagnostic considerations. Although corticosteroids represent first-line therapy in many of these disorders, important advances in the understanding of the eosinophil biology and specific disease pathogenesis, such as those with hypereosinophilic syndromes, have led to the development of novel targeted therapies. This clinical review focuses on the most current diagnostic and management strategies of the patient with eosinophilic lung disease.