Total
<30 years
30–49 years
≥50 years
Characteristics
(n = 111)
(n = 14)
(n = 45)
(n = 52)
n(%)
n(%)
n(%)
n(%)
p-value
Gender
Men
43(38.7)
5(35.7)
20(44.4)
18(34.6)
0.593a
Women
68(61.3)
9(64.3)
25(55.6)
34(65.4)
Smoking history
Never
63(56.8)
8(57.1)
25(55.6)
30(57.7)
0.032 b
Ex-smoker
23(20.7)
2(14.3)
5(11.1)
16(30.8)
Current smoker
25(22.5)
4(28.6)
15(33.3)
6(11.5)
Duration of symptoms before diagnosis (months; median (range))
12(1–360)
14(3–240)
13(1–360)
12(1–240)
0.851c
Symptoms
Dyspnea
108(97.3)
13(92.9)
45(100)
50(96.2)
0.252b
Cough
97(87.4)
11(78.6)
39(86.7)
47(90.4)
0.489a
Flu-like syndrome
48(44.0)
5(35.7)
21(47.6)
22(44.0)
0.771a
Weight loss
47(54.7)
9(75.0)
16(47.1)
22(55.0)
0.247a
BMI < 18.5 (kg/m2)
4(3.6)
3(21.4)
0(0)
1(1.9)
0.006 b
Signs
Crackles
83(74.8)
11(78.6)
29(64.4)
43(82.7)
0.112a
Digital clubbing
15(13.5)
4(28.6)
7(15.6)
4(7.7)
0.112a
Residence
Country
75(67.6)
9(64.3)
36(80.0)
30(37.7)
0.062a
City
36(32.4)
5(35.7)
9(20.0)
22(42.3)
Exposure
104(94.5)
12(85.7)
45(100)
47(92.2)
0.064b
Bird antigen
86(78.2)
10(71.4)
36(89.0)
40(78.4)
0.793a
Mold antigen
48(43.6)
428.6)
24(53.3)
20(39.2)
0.181a
Precipitins
68(61.3)
7(50.0)
23(51.1)
38(73.1)
0.056a
Bird fancier lung
63(56.8)
6(42.9)
21(46.7)
36(69.2)
0.044 a
Farmer’s lung
11(10.4)
1(7.1)
3(7.0)
7(14.3)
0.555b
The median duration of clinical symptoms before the diagnosis was 12 months (range: 1–360 months). The main symptoms were dyspnea (97.3 %) and cough (87.4 %). Weight loss was reported by 47 (54.7 %) patients and flu-like syndrome by 48 (44.0 %) patients. Body mass index (BMI) was low (<18.5 kg/m2) in 3.6 % of patients, normal (18.5–25.0 kg/m2) in 36.0 % of patients, and high (>25 kg/m2) in 60.4 % of patients. In the patients younger than 30 years of age, BMI <18.5 kg/m2 was observed in 21.4 % of them; the difference from other groups was significant (p = 0.006). Crackles were heard in 83 (74.8 %) patients. Clubbing was observed in 15 (13.5 %) patients. Twenty five patients (22.5 %) were smokers at the time of the diagnosis, 23 (20.7 %) were ex-smokers, and 63 (56.8 %) never smoked. Differences in these groups were statistically significant (p = 0.032) (Table 1).
All patients had a high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) performed at the time of diagnosis. ‘Active’ forms of HP were present in 101 (91.0 %) patients, most commonly in the group 30–49 years of age (93.3 %) (Table 2). Radiologic signs of fibrosis were present in 48 (43.2 %) patients, equally frequent in the youngest and oldest age-groups. ‘Active’ changes coexisted with ‘chronic’ changes in 39 (35.1 %) patients, notably in the youngest age-group. Respiratory insufficiency was present in 27 (24.3 %) patients at the time of diagnosis, with about equal distribution across the age-groups.
Table 2
Qualitative character of pulmonary function in hypersensitive pneumonitis patients stratified by age at diagnosis
Total | <30 years | 30–49 years | ≥50 years | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Functional indices | (n = 111) | (n = 14) | (n = 45) | (n = 52) | |
n(%) | n(%) | n(%) | n(%) | p-value | |
TLC | |||||
Normal | 62(59.0) | 1(7.7) | 24(54.5) | 37(77.1) | <0.001 a |
Decreased | 43(41.0) | 12(92.3) | 20(45.5) | 11(22.9) | |
Normal | 62(59.0) | 1(7.7) | 24(54.5) | 37(77.1) | <0.001 b |
Mild restriction | 22(21.0) | 3(23.1) | 10(22.7) | 9(18.8) | |
Moderate restriction | 10(9.5) | 4(30.8) | 4(9.1) | 2(4.2) | |
Severe restriction | 11(10.5) | 5(38.5) | 6(13.6) | 0(0) | |
VC | |||||
Normal | 61(57.0) | 0(0) | 21(47.7) | 40(81.6) | <0.001 a |
Decreased | 46(43.0) | 14(100) | 23(52.5) | 9(18.4) | |
DLCO | |||||
Normal | 10(9.6) | 0(0) | 6(14.3) | 4(8.2) | 0.371b |
Reduction | 94(90.4) | 13(100) | 36(85.7) | 45(91.8) | |
Normal | 10(9.6) | 0(0) | 6(14.3) | 4(8.2) | |
Mild + moderate reduction | 63(60.6) | 4(30.8) | 23(54.8) < div class='tao-gold-member'>
Only gold members can continue reading. Log In or Register to continue
 Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Full access? Get Clinical Tree
Get Clinical Tree app for offline access
| ||