A novel immunodeficiency syndrome as a rare cause of secondary pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: A diagnosis after 5 decades

Abstract

Case report of a male patient with a five-decade follow-up history in a tertiary care hospital distinguished for malabsorption syndrome, failure-to-thrive, meningitis and recurrent bacterial, fungal and mycobacterial pulmonary infections. Additionally, he developed epidermodysplasia verruciformis, several in situ spinocellular carcinomas and an uncharacteristic parenchymal lung disease. Surgical lung biopsy suggested pulmonary alveolar proteinosis with fibrotic change. Retrospectively, severe monocytopenia had been overlooked in the past, as well as low B and NK cell blood counts. Flow cytometry confirmed the absence of the previous cell subsets along with an undetectable population of dendritic blood cells. Dendritic cell, monocyte, B and NK lymphoid Human Deficiency Syndrome (DCMLS) is a novel rare immunodeficiency described in 2010, linked to GATA-2 mutation. This syndrome should be highlighted as a rare cause of acquired PAP, with a radiological pattern encompassing potential fibrotic change. Failure to recognize monocytopenia may impede the chance to diagnose.