Hidden on Radiograph, Unmasked by Bronchoscopy: A 52-Year-Old Woman With Respiratory Symptoms, Eosinophilia, and Normal Chest Radiograph.

Abstract

A 52-year-old woman presented with a 5-month history of significant unintentional weight loss and anorexia, along with a more recent 2-week history of low-grade fever, progressive dyspnea, and dry cough. She denied hemoptysis, chest pain, wheezing, night sweats, or other systemic concerns. Her medical history was unremarkable, with no history of TB or atopic conditions. She was immunocompetent, with no known comorbidities or exposure to immunosuppressive agents or any long-term medications. She also denied any concerns suggestive of connective tissue disease. She was a wheat and sugarcane farmer, with no history of exposure to smoking, biomass fuel, occupational chemical exposure, recent travel, drug intake, or animal contact. She was a lifelong vegetarian, with no history of consumption of raw or undercooked meat or fish. She received a course of empirical antibiotics with no improvement in symptoms.