title: Reaction of human lungs to aspirated animal fat (ghee): a clinicopathological study.
abstract: We report the clinical findings and pathological lung changes in four children following a cultural practice of forced feeding with animal fat (ghee) during infancy. The clinical presentation was of acute or chronic chest infection which failed to respond to antimicrobial therapy. The radiographic features ranged from extensive bronchopneumonia to collapse/consolidation and bronchiectasis. The light microscopy findings included diffuse mononuclear interstitial pneumonia, intraalveolar desquamation of pneumocytes, lipid granuloma formation, lung atelectasis and bronchiectasis. In the two children with longstanding reactions, the striking feature was the minimal lipid engulfment by the macrophages, the continuation of the mononuclear interstitial pneumonia, bronchiectasis and minimal lung fibrosis. In these two older children, the lung lymphatics were probably the main channels for drainage of the aspirated ghee.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Annobil
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Morad
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Khurana
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kameswaran
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ogunbiyi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: al-Malki
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D011017:Pneumonia, Lipid / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012529:Saudi Arabia
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats