Symptoms of exogenous allergic alveolitis
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Acute symptoms of exogenous allergic alveolitis occur 4-6 hours after exposure to a causally significant antigen. There is a short-term increase in body temperature to high figures, chills, weakness, malaise, pain in the limbs. Cough has a paroxysmal character with a difficultly separated sputum, a dyspnea of a mixed nature at rest and is enhanced by physical exertion. Remote rales, cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes are noted. On examination, attention is drawn to the absence of any signs of an infectious disease (primarily ARVI - absence of hyperemia of mucous membranes of throat, tonsils, etc.). Percutary sound over the lungs with a boxed tint, it is often revealed its blunting. When auscultation - scattered dry wheezing, along with which are listened to a variety of moist, including gentle, creping, the so-called "cellophane", rattles. In the clinical analysis of peripheral blood leukocytosis, eosinophilia, sometimes increased ESR.
In the subacute and chronic phase of the disease, the leading symptoms are shortness of breath and cough with separation of mucous sputum, periodically audible crepitic wheezing. The most typical is the progressive increase in the phenomena of respiratory failure due to the increase in fibrosis in the lungs and diffusive-distributive, restrictive disorders: fatigue, poor physical tolerance, decreased appetite and weight loss, the appearance of "drumsticks," deformations of the chest (flattening).
For ABLA is characteristic of the departure of a kind of brown sputum, when sowing it is found mold fungus Aspergillus, persistent eosinophilia of blood and sputum, the formation of proximal bronchiectasises.