Bronchoalveolar lavage cellular analysis and gallium lung scan in the assessment of patients with amiodarone-induced pneumonitis.

Seven patients suffering from amiodarone-induced pneumonitis were followed after diagnosis over a period of 16 +/- 6 months. All of them showed clinical, radiographic and functional manifestations of interstitial lung disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on 6 of them and disclosed lymphocytosis in 2 cases (associated to eosinophilia in 1 of them), neutrophilia in 1 and normal differential count in 2. In 1 case there were abundant hemosiderin-laden macrophages. In addition, all patients evidenced an increased 67Ga lung scan uptake. After discontinuation of amiodarone therapy (with or without corticosteroid therapy), 67Ga lung uptake normalized in 3 cases, but remained increased in 3. Bronchoalveolar lavage was repeated only in 2 cases, showing disappearance of lymphocytosis in one and abundant hemosiderin-laden macrophages in the other. Our results suggest that (1) hemosiderin-laden macrophages can be found in bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with amiodarone-induced pneumonitis, probably related to subclinical chronic left-sided heart failure; (2) 67Ga lung scan appears to be a sensitive marker of amiodarone pneumonitis, although it can remain abnormal after pulmonary clinical, radiographic and functional normalization.