Squalene aspiration pneumonia in children: radiographic and CT findings as the first clue to diagnosis.
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.
Lee
Kyoung Ho
KH
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.
Kim
Woo Sun
WS
Cheon
Jung-Eun
JE
Seo
Joon Beom
JB
Kim
In-One
IO
Yeon
Kyung Mo
KM
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
D013185:Squalene