Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonia Induced by Nasal Instillation of Paraffin Oil

Abstract

Lipoid pneumonia is a rare pulmonary disease, classified in terms of the source of lipid exposure into two variants: exogenous and endogenous. We present a patient with exogenous lipoid pneumonia, acquired after chronic exposure to paraffin oil-containing nasal drops. The diagnosis was established by demonstration of lipid-laden macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage, chest computed tomography results and a history of lipid exposure.

Lipoid pneumonia induced by aspiration of liquid paraffin

“…As ELP is a rare condition with no specific clinical or imaging features, its course remains poorly understood. While cytological tests such as bronchoalveolar lavage or fine-needle aspiration may be performed in ELP patients, the definitive diagnosis often relies on histological examination and high-resolution computed tomography [2,3].…”