First presentation of a case of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis with spontaneous pneumothorax

Abstract EN

Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disease of unknown origin.

It is characterized by the presence of small calculi within the alveolar spaces, and has various clinical manifestations.

Some patients may be asymptomatic for a long period of time with subsequent occurrence of dyspnea, dry cough, chest pain, and eventually, respiratory failure.

Recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax episodes are a late complication of the disease.

We report the case of an alveolar microlithiasis episode in a 42-year-old male, admitted to Tohid Hospital, Iran, whose first clinical presentation was symptoms of pneumothorax.

He was admitted with sudden onset dyspnea and right-sided pleuretic chest pain.

Following treatment of pneumothorax after chest tube placement, the pulmonary function revealed normal indices, and chest radiograph demonstrated diffuse confluence of dense micronodular infiltrate.

High-resolution computerized tomography scan showed diffuse ground glass attenuation and calcifications along the interlobular septa and subpleural regions.

Transbronchial lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of PAM