Successful discontinuation of corticosteroids through remission induction therapy with benralizumab for chronic eosinophilic pneumonia

Abstract

Abstract Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) is an eosinophilic lung disease. Treatment for CEP includes corticosteroids; however, CEP often recurs. A 53‐year‐old woman was referred to our hospital because of poorly controlled asthma. She was treated with combination of moderate‐dose inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), a long‐acting β2‐agonist (LABA), and betamethasone/dexchlorpheniramine. She was switched to single‐inhaler triple therapy, after which her asthma control improved; thus, betamethasone/dexchlorpheniramine was discontinued. Ten weeks later, she was diagnosed with CEP due to marked eosinophilia and pulmonary eosinophilic infiltrates. Oral corticosteroid treatment was initiated, symptoms improved, and peripheral blood eosinophilia decreased with improved infiltrative shadows. Remission induction therapy was initiated with benralizumab combined with corticosteroid therapy. Eosinophilia and inflammatory responses decreased. After 7 months, corticosteroid was discontinued, and she was treated with benralizumab alone. She remained in remission for 4 months. This case suggests that benralizumab may be useful as a remission induction therapy in patients with CEP.

Keywords

• Benralizumab
• chronic eosinophilic pneumonia
• corticosteroid
• remission
• severe asthma