Eosinophilic pneumonia and atypical mycobacterial infection.

Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia is a relatively uncommon condition associated with fever, malaise, weight loss, dyspnea, and hypoxia. The chest radiograph displays peripheral air-space consolidation, often referred to as the negative of pulmonary edema. The characteristic pathologic findings in the lung include marked accumulation of eosinophils in the alveolar spaces, often with the formation of eosinophilic abscesses. We report the history and pathologic findings in a patient who fit the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, but who went on to develop cavitary atypical mycobacterial infection and died. We believe that this case represents an unusual response to an atypical mycobacterial infection.