Bird breeders’ lung disease: A rare cause of interstitial lung disease in children

Bird breeders’ lung disease is a rare hypersensitivity pneumonitis in childhood. The average age of diagnosis in pediatrics is approximately 10 years. The pathogenesis of bird breeders’ lung disease is characterized by an immunoallergic response to avian antigens. The clinical picture is complex and variable in children, often presenting sub-acutely with cough and exertional dyspnea. It is essentially a presumptive diagnosis based on a combination of anamnestic, clinical and paraclinical findings. The therapeutic management is based on a complete and definitive avoidance of the antigen in question. The prognosis is generally favorable in children. We report the medical observation of an adolescent girl aged 12 years and 11 months old who was initially treated for asthma due to a dry cough and dyspnea evolving for 8 months. The chest X-ray showed a right basal interstitial syndrome. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed a diffuse ground-glass appearance. Repeat questioning found massive contact at home with birds. The avian serum precipitin test was positive with lymphocytic alveolitis in bronchoalveolar lavage. The patient was put on oral corticosteroid therapy with avoidance of bird exposure. After 5 months, the evolution was favorable.