title: Squalene aspiration pneumonia in children: radiographic and CT findings as the first clue to diagnosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The diagnosis of squalene aspiration pneumonia in children is often difficult because of minimal non-specific symptoms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the radiological findings of squalene aspiration pneumonia in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the chest radiographs (n = 8) and CT scans (n = 7), including high-resolution CT (n = 3), of eight patients (four boys, four girls; age 3 months to 6 years) with squalene aspiration pneumonia. All patients presented minimal symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chest radiographs showed right-sided predominantly parahilar infiltrations. The extent and the opacity of the lesions decreased slowly during the follow-up period (mean 5.4 months) after halting the exposure. On CT, affected areas appeared as dense consolidations surrounded by ground-glass opacities showing a crazy-paving pattern in a geographic lobular distribution in all patients. The lesions were predominantly in the right lung and dependent areas in all patients and extensively involved all pulmonary lobes in five patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These radiological findings, although non-specific, can lead to an appropriate diagnosis, particularly when patients present few symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Woo Sun
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Joon Beom
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: In-One
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Mo
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Yeon
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011017:Pneumonia, Lipid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013185:Squalene / Q000633:toxicity*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D013185:Squalene