Acute fibrinous organising pneumonia: a manifestation of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole pulmonary toxicity

Abstract

A 50-year-old man was treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) for acute arthritis of his right big toe. Within a few days, he developed dyspnoea, hypoxaemia and diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. Symptoms improved with discontinuation of the antibiotic but worsened again with its reintroduction. An open lung biopsy was performed. We describe the workup performed and the factors that pointed to a final diagnosis of TMP-SMX-related pulmonary toxicity in the form of acute fibrinous organising pneumonia.