Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a lung disease that causes inflammation and scar tissue in the bronchioles and alveoli. It is not an infection and can be caused by chronic inflammatory diseases, radiation therapy, and exposure to toxic fumes. Symptoms include shortness of breath, dry cough, and flu-like symptoms. Diagnosis involves physical exams, chest X-rays, and MRI scans. Treatment involves corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. BOOP is also known as cryptogenic organized pneumonia (COP).
Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a type of lung disease that is the result of organized pneumonia that invades the bronchioles and alveoli of the lungs. Bronchioles are small airways that run through the lungs, and alveoli are tiny air sacs found there. This disease is not an infection and causes inflammation of the bronchioles and alveoli.
There is also a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans. Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia and standard bronchiolitis obliterans are different lung diseases but can be easily confused. Bronchiolitis obliterans causes the bronchioles to narrow and compress as scar tissue blocks the airways. BOOP, on the other hand, involves inflammation of the bronchioles and the development of scar tissue in the alveoli. To avoid confusion, the medical community also refers to BOOP as cryptogenic organized pneumonia (COP).
Research into the exact causes of BPPO is ongoing. Known causes include chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and connective tissue diseases, such as scleroderma. Radiation therapy and some medications can also cause BOOP to develop. Common known causes are long-term exposure to toxic fumes and chronic bacterial lung infections. When doctors know the cause of the disease in a patient, it is called secondary BOOP.
Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia symptoms include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and dry cough. Some patients may also experience flu-mimicking symptoms, such as body aches and fatigue. Low fever and weight loss are also common symptoms.
To diagnose BOOP, a series of tests are performed. Physical exams often provide a starting point for further testing when doctors notice crackles when a patient breathes and oxygen saturation levels are low. Doctors need to see inside the lungs so they can look at the bronchioles and alveoli. Chest X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can provide needed views of the lungs. In some cases, a tissue sample may be needed to rule out lung cancer.
Corticosteroids are the common bronchiolitis obliterans that organize the treatment of pneumonia. These medicines work to reduce inflammation, which also reduces the risk of a patient developing scar tissue in the sockets. Treatment with corticosteroids is short-term and doses gradually decrease as the disease responds. Doctors prescribe a higher dose so that the medicine works more quickly, and then the dose is slowly reduced over a few weeks to wean the patient off the corticosteroids.
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