Published online Sep 26, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i27.9936
Peer-review started: May 21, 2022
First decision: June 27, 2022
Revised: July 2, 2022
Accepted: August 11, 2022
Article in press: August 11, 2022
Published online: September 26, 2022
Processing time: 110 Days and 23.2 Hours
All drugs have the potential to cause drug-induced lung injury both during and after drug administration. Acetaminophen has been reported to cause drug-induced lung injury, although this is extremely rare. Herein, we present an extremely rare case of acetaminophen-induced pneumonia.
A healthy 35-year-old Japanese woman visited a neighborhood clinic with complaints of fever and malaise following a tick bite. Her treatment included 1,500 mg acetaminophen (Caronal®) and subsequently minocycline (200 mg) and acetaminophen (2,000 mg; Caronal®) daily when her condition did not improve; the patient was eventually hospitalized. The patient’s chest computed tomography (CT) revealed consolidation and ground-glass opacities in the right middle and lower lobes. Minocycline was shifted to sulbactam/ampicillin. However, her fever did not improve during follow-up, and her chest CT revealed extensive ground-glass opacities in the right middle and lower lobes and thick infiltrative shadows in the bilateral basal areas. Drug-induced lung injury was suspected; hence, acetaminophen was discontinued. The fever resolved immediately, and inflammatory response and respiratory imaging findings improved. A drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test was performed against acetaminophen (Caronal®), and significant proliferation of lymphocytes was noted only for acetaminophen (stimulation index, 2.1).
Even common drugs such as over-the-counter drugs can cause drug-induced lung damage.
Core Tip: We present an extremely rare case of acetaminophen-induced lung injury. Even common drugs, including over-the-counter drugs, can cause lung injury, warranting consideration when evaluating emergent lung disease.