Idiopathic bronchiolocentric interstitial pneumonia: A rare presentation

Abstract

Bronchiolocentric interstitial pneumonia is a unique entity with few cases reported in the literature. It is characterized by the pattern of bronchiolocentric injury to the lung in the absence of known causes and its clinical presentation may mimic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) or chronic hypersensitivity pneumonia. It is considered an aggressive disease with a prognosis somewhere between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and NSIP. Here, we report a case of idiopathic bronchiolocentric interstitial pneumonia, which was initially suspected as chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, but histopathological features suggested predominantly bronchiolocentric inflammation and fibrosis.