Do Not Play with Fire

Antonio Villa, Anna Kostihova, Simona Cattaneo, Anna Maria Croce, Marta Luperto

Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Milan, Italy.

DOI: 10.4236/ojrd.2013.33018                

Abstract

We report a case of exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by inhalation of liquid paraffin in a fire eater young man. The patient was admitted to the Emergency Department because of acute retrosternal pain, dry cough and dyspnea. Chest radiograph showed multiple bilateral basal alveolar opacities associated to left pleural effusion; CT chest scan showed multiple bilateral areas of consolidation with cavity areas. BAL cytologic examination revealed abundant lipid-laden macrophages. Clinical symptoms resolved after corticosteroid treatment. Lipoid pneumonia is a rare and often underdiagnosed entity. The presence of lipid-laden macrophages in sputum or BAL fluid helps to confirm the diagnosis.

Keywords

Lipoid Pneumonia; Fire Eater; BAL Fluid

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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