Introduction:
This text presents a case report of a patient with respiratory bronchiolitis-interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD) caused by electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use. The reader will learn about the potential harmful effects of ENDS use and the importance of considering this as a diagnosis in patients with lung disease.
Key Points:
* The patient was a 33-year-old male with a 10 pack-year history of traditional cigarette smoking who had completed chemotherapy for a mixed germ cell tumor.
* The patient started vaping while continuing to smoke traditional cigarettes and developed multiple pulmonary nodules with fluffy parenchyma opacification on chest CT after three months of exposure to e-cigarette vapor.
* Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and transbronchial lung biopsy were non-diagnostic, and open lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of RB-ILD.
* The patient's lung function improved after cessation of vaping and traditional cigarette smoking.
* This is the first case where open lung biopsy has demonstrated RB-ILD caused by ENDS use.
Main Message:
This case report highlights the potential harmful effects of ENDS use and the importance of considering this as a diagnosis in patients with lung disease. As ENDS use continues to rise, it is crucial to understand the potential risks associated with their use. Healthcare providers should be aware of the possibility of RB-ILD as a diagnosis in patients who use ENDS and present with lung symptoms. Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of ENDS use on lung health.
Citation
Flower, Mark, Lakshmy Nandakumar, Mahendra Singh, David Wyld, Morgan Windsor, and David Fielding. “Respiratory Bronchiolitis‐associated Interstitial Lung Disease Secondary to Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Use Confirmed with Open Lung Biopsy.” Respirology Case Reports 5, no. 3 (May 2017): e00230. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcr2.230.
Flower, Mark, Lakshmy Nandakumar, Mahendra Singh, David Wyld, Morgan Windsor, and David Fielding. “Respiratory Bronchiolitis‐associated Interstitial Lung Disease Secondary to Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Use Confirmed with Open Lung Biopsy.” Respirology Case Reports 5, no. 3 (May 2017): e00230. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcr2.230.
