Cabergoline-associated non-necrotizing granulomatous pleuritis: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Cabergoline is a dopamine agonist commonly used in the treatment of Parkinson disease, and some cases of cabergoline-associated pleural effusion have been reported in the literature. The present report describes a case of pleural effusion, pleural thickening, and granulomatous pleuritis in a patient receiving low-dose Cabergoline therapy. A 31-year-old woman with a history of prolactinoma presented with a right-sided exudative pleural effusion. Further evaluation demonstrated ipsilateral pleural thickening and non-necrotizing granulomatous pleuritis. Comprehensive investigations excluded alternative etiologies, including tuberculosis, rheumatologic disorders, and sarcoidosis. Given the clinical and radiologic improvement following discontinuation of cabergoline and initiation of corticosteroid therapy, cabergoline-induced granulomatous pleural disease was considered the most likely diagnosis. This report describes a rare case of granulomatous pleuritis occurring in a patient undergoing treatment with low-dose Cabergoline.