Thank you Dr. Katrina DeLeon for a great morning report on Loffler’s syndrome

Teaching Points:

• Loffler’s syndrome is a disease in which eosinophils accumulate in the lung in response to a parasitic infection
  • Examples of parasites:
    • Ascarislumbricoides(roundworm)
    • Strongyloidesstercoralis(nematode)
    • Necatoramericanus(hookworm)
    • Ancylostomaduodenale(hookworm)
• Absolute eosinophil count:
  • <500 = Normal
  • 500-1500 = Mild, usually do to asthma vs. allergic rhinitis; don’t necessitate large workup
  • >1500 = Moderate and significant; warrant a workup
• Symptoms are usually mild or absent and tend to spontaneously resolve after several days or, at most, after 2-3 weeks.
  • Fever, malaise, cough, wheezing, and dyspnea are the most common symptoms. Less commonly, the patient may present with myalgia, anorexia, and urticaria.
  • Social and travel history should be carefully elicited to identify risk factors for exposure to parasites.