Cheese washer lung

Category

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Acute/Chronic

Chronic

Synonyms

Cheese-washer's lung

Comments

Acute presentation: flu-like illness with cough;
Subacute: recurrent "pneumonia";
Chronic: exertional dyspnea, productive cough, and weight loss;
The exposure is to moldy cheese casings, and the suspected antigen is the fungus, Penicillium casei or P. roqueforti. [Harber, p. 202] See "Hypersensitivity pneumonitis."

Latency/Incubation

Weeks to years until "sensitized"; acute symptoms 4-12 hours after exposure;

Diagnostic

Clinical; Chest x-ray; HRCT; Pulmonary function testing; BAL; Lung biopsy;

ICD-9 Code

495.8

ICD-10 Code

J67.8

IDdx Link

Job Tasks

High risk job tasks associated with this disease:

• Repeatedly inhale bioaerosols of cheese containing Penicillum species

Agents

Hazardous agents that cause the occupational disease:

• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis antigens