Lymphocytic Interstitial Pneumonia (LIP): A Case Report in Chaophrayayommarat Hospital

Abstract

Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) is a very rare disease in the group of interstitial lung diseases with unknown definite cause. Symptoms are often nonspecific. Patients may present with cough, shortness of breath, and only minimal abnormalities might be heard upon lung auscultation. Diagnosis relies on the patient's history, physical examination, diagnostic imaging, and pathological examination of resection specimens, which reveals lymphocytic infiltration in the interstitial tissue of the alveoli. Treatment can include steroids and, in some cases, cytotoxic drugs. The prognosis is not well understood at this time. This article presents a case of 53-year-old Thai male patient with a medical history of papillary renal cell carcinoma and brain metastasis. During the follow-up appointment, a mass was found in the left lower lung along with occasional shortness of breath. The patient underwent left lower lobectomy with lymph node dissection, and the specimens were sent for pathological examination due to suspected metastatic cancer. Initial histopathological results favored a benign condition, which did not correlate with the clinical presentation and radiological findings. Therefore, a definitive diagnosis could not be made initially, and the specimens were sent to the Institute of Pathology for further consultation. The final diagnosis was lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia with no evidence of cancer. The patient was followed up with repeated chest CT scans, which showed no additional lung masses. The patient remained asymptomatic and continued with regular follow-ups.