OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of subacute hipersensitivity pneumonitis in a boy with simultaneous occurrence of the same clinical syndrome in a member of his family. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 12 years old child with worsening dyspnea, dry cough and weigth loss. He had no improvement despite several treatments for bacterial pneumonia. The diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonia was made based on radiologic and hystophatologic patterns, and the patient got better after removal of exposure. The mother of the patient had a similar clinical and radiologic disease at the same period. COMMENTS: The hypersensitivity pneumonitis represents a group of diseases characterized by inflammatory damage of lung parenchyma and airways in response to inhalation of a large variety of antigens. The clinical presentation varies with acute, subacute and chronic forms. Its incidence also varies considerably, depending on environmental and geographic conditions. Only 25% of cases have a family history of the disease. The existence of an exact genetic risk factor is still unknown.
pneumonitis hypersensitivity; child; family
