A case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treated with clarithromycin

We report a case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) treated successfully using clarithromycin (CAM). A 64-year-old male patient suffering from IPF which had been diagnosed at 59 years old, presented with slowly progressive dyspnea. Until this time, his condition had been almost stable. He was diagnosed with exacerbation of IPF, based on exacerbation of lung ausculation, O2 saturation by pulse oxymetry, Krebs von den Lungen 6 levels and chest computed tomography findings of reticular opacities. He was successfully treated using CAM in expectation of its anti-inflammatory effects. This case shows that treatment using CAM may be effective in some cases of IPF.