Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia in a Saudi Arabian female.

The first recorded case of tropical pulmonary eosinophilia from Saudi Arabia is reported. A 57-year-old female presented with paroxysmal cough, wheezing and shortness of breath. The white cell count was 27-0 x 109/l with 80% eosinophils, the serum IgE was grossly elevated and there were flitting pulmonary opacities on X-ray. Following treatment with diethylcarbamazine the patient's symptoms were relieved dramatically, the white cells, eosinophil counts and the serum IgE returned to normal and the pulmonary opacities cleared. The source of filarial infection is uncertain.