Eosinophilic sialoadenitis in a patient with severe asthma: a case report

Abstract

Activated eosinophils can infiltrate various tissues and cause inflammatory tissue damage. Asthma is a typical type of eosinophilic inflammatory disease that occurs in the respiratory system. Eosinophilic sialodochitis and sialoadenitis of the salivary gland are rare diseases clinically characterized by painful swelling. In this report, we present a 68-year-old woman with asthma who presented to our hospital with mandibular swelling. Her asthma had been well controlled with an inhaled combination of a corticosteroid and a long-acting β2 agonist, although she reported a past history of frequent asthma attacks and hospitalization. Laboratory investigation on admission revealed blood eosinophilia (2,673/μL), high levels of total immunoglobulin E (390 U/mL) and immunoglobulin G4 (183 mg/dL). Bone marrow examination showed no evidence of eosinophilic neoplasia. Histological examination of her minor salivary glands disclosed an infiltration of mixed lymphocytes and eosinophils. Chromatolytic eosinophils with Charcot-Leyden crystals were also observed within the edematous dermis and fibrous tissues surrounding the minor salivary gland. The patient was diagnosed with eosinophilic sialoadenitis. Treatment with oral corticosteroids (0.5 mg/kg/day) was initiated. Thereafter, the mandibular swelling improved. This report describes a rare case of eosinophilic sialoadenitis in a patient with severe eosinophilic asthma, for which histopathological and immunefluorescence microscopic analyses were performed.