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Löffler syndrome

Pulmonary eosinophilia encompasses a large number of causes. ‘Löffler (Loeffler) syndrome’ has been misused to describe any type of pulmonary eosinophilia; however, the cases observed by Löffler were transient and due to the transpulmonary passage of helminth larvae.

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 Loffler Syndrome Clinical Presentation

Symptoms of Löffler syndrome are usually mild or absent and tend to spontaneously resolve after several days or, at most, after 2-3 weeks. Cough is the most common symptom among symptomatic patients. It is usually dry and unproductive but may be associated with production of small amounts of mucoid sputum.

Articles of Interest

Loeffler Syndrome: Uncommon or Poorly Diagnosed?

Described by Wilhelm Loeffler in 1932, Loeffler syndrome, also classified as simple pulmonary eosinophilia, was defined as the presence of eosinophilia in peripheral blood associated with pulmonary infiltrations. A quarter of patients have no etiological diagnosis; however, the most common etiological cause includes parasites (Ascaris Lumbricoides is the most found), fungi, bacterial infections and drug hypersensitivity (acetylsalicylic acid, bleomycin, carbamazepine, melazine).

Löeffler’s syndrome

Löeffler syndrome (LS) is a transient respiratory illness associated with peripheral eosinophilia (PE) and radiographic infiltrates. Ascaris lumbricoides is the most common cause.

Loeffler’s Syndrome: Justin’s Journey

Loeffler’s syndrome is a form of eosinophilic pulmonary disease characterized by absent or mild respiratory symptoms (most often dry cough), fleeting migratory pulmonary opacities, and peripheral blood eosinophilia. Parasitic infections, especially ascariasis, may be the cause, but an identifiable etiologic agent is not found in up to one third of patients.

No Loeffing Matter: The Dilemma of Loeffler's Endocarditis

Associated symptoms included orthopnea, lower-extremity edema, and weight gain. Her medical history consisted of emphysema and hypothyroidism with no prior cardiac history.

Pulmonary Eosinophilia

Pulmonary eosinophilia (PE) is defined as the infiltration of eosinophils into the lung compartments constituting airways, interstitium, and alveoli. Various infections, drugs, parasites, autoimmune processes, malignancies, and obstructive lung diseases have been associated with increased eosinophils in the lungs.

The Eosinophilic Pneumonias

The association between pulmonary infiltrates and eosinophilia was first identified by Loeffler in 1932. It is now recognized that the eosinophilic pneumonias are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by varying degrees of pulmonary parenchymal and/or blood eosinophilia. The precise role that eosinophils play in the pathogenesis of the different eosinophilic pneumonias is not clear.

Transient Successive Pulmonary Infiltrations (Löffler's Syndrome)

IN 1932 Löffler (9) described a transitory pulmonary lesion associated with a high degree of eosinophilia, having a mild clinical course. Since the original publication, many similar cases have been reported. Most writers believe the condition to be a clinical entity and have termed the symptom complex Löffler's syndrome.