Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.

Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) belongs to a group of syndromes manifested by pulmonary infiltrates with peripheral eosinophilia (PIE syndromes). The role of the eosinophil as a destructive agent in CEP is discussed. The degree of manifested eosinophilia at the time of diagnosis, the frequency of relapses of pneumonia, the response to steroid therapy, the status of current physical and x-ray findings, and especially the trend in pulmonary function data, all appear to be critical factors in determining the potential mortality risk of CEP cases.