[Clinico-pathological aspects of farmer's lung. Review of the literature and personal cases].

Data are presented on 9 subjects with Farmer's lung encountered in 1981-85. In all cases dyspnea arose within several hours after exposure to the allergen and in 4 cases only a few minutes after exposure. The radiological picture was altered in 7 cases (6 miliary pictures and 1 case of medial and basal nodulation). In functional terms 6 restrictive and 3 mixed forms were identified. The specific bronchial provocation test was positive wherever it was performed. Bronchoalveolar lavage revealed predominantly lymphocytic alveolitis in the most recent cases. Transbronchial biopsy also revealed the presence of pulmonary granulomatosis in various stages of development. Finally skin tests were positive to various antigens in several cases while specific precipitin were found in all cases. These data are compared with reports in the literature.