A female with dry cough, progressive dyspnoea and weight loss.

CASE HISTORY A 43-yr-old Chinese female presented with dry cough, weight loss of 2 kg, and progressive breathlessness of 1 month duration. Her symptoms progressed despite two courses of oral antibiotics (a macrolide and a b-lactam) and traditional Chinese medication. There was no fever, wheeze, haemoptysis or chest discomfort. She was a life-long nonsmoker and worked in an office environment with no known exposures to chemicals, fumes or dust. She had not travelled out of Singapore for 1 yr. The only past medical history of note was that of mild asthma, which had been in remission for 10 yrs.