Löffler syndrome J82.x0

Parasites (Ascaris lumbricoides, Strongyloides, Ancylostoma duodenale, Larva migrans, Schistosomiasis, Trichuris trichiura, Taenia saginata), drugs (nitrofurantoin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, chemotherapeutic drugs, immunosuppressants esp. Fumarate), idiopathic genesis as well as other factors (post partum, smoke inhalation, blood transfusion, lymphography).
It is probably an inflammatory-allergic reaction to various antigens in the alveoli.

Acute clinical picture with fever, cough and dyspnoea; blood eosinophilia with leukocytosis (usually > 20,000/μl);

radiological lung infiltrates, which can migrate and dissolve within weeks. The rapid and benign clinical course is a "conditio sine qua non".

In addition to eosinophilic lung infiltrates, prolonged eosinophilia can lead to inflammatory eosinophilic myocarditis and eosinophilic fibroblastic endocarditis (Löffler's endocarditis). The endocardium can become several millimetres thick, often with thrombi (see restrictive kaardiomyopathy below).

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2. Löffler W (1932) For the differential diagnosis of lung infiltrations. I. Early infiltrates with special consideration of the recovery times. Beitr Klin Tbk 79: 338-367
3. Nishio M, Ohata M, Suruda T et al (1992) Idiopathic acute eosinophilic pneumonia. Internal Med 31: 1139-1143
4. Savani DM et al (2002) Eosinophilic lung disease in the tropics. Clin Chest Med 23: 377-396
5. Watanabe K et al (2002) Acute eosinophilic pneumonia following cigarette smoking: a case report including cigarette-smoking challenge test. Internal Med 41: 1016-1020