Exogenous lipoid pneumonia: importance of clinical history to the diagnosis.
Lipoid pneumonia is a rare disease resulting from the micro-aspiration of lipid formulations. Making a diagnosis of lipoid pneumonia requires a high degree of clinical suspicion. Herein, we report the case of a female patient with a history of breast cancer, presenting progressive dyspnea and cough, together with radiological findings of bilateral pulmonary infiltrate. The working diagnosis of lymphangitic carcinomatosis, for which chemotherapy would be indicated, was called into question based on the high-resolution computed tomography findings and on the fact that the patient had a history of chronic ingestion of laxatives containing mineral oil. A lung biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of lipoid pneumonia, which should always be considered in patients with diffuse lung disease having been exposed to potential causative agents.
de Albuquerque Filho
Alfredo Pereira Leite
AP
Serviço de Clínica Médica, Hospital Barão de Lucena, Recife, PE, Brasil.
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002400:Cathartics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000592:standards; D008899:Mineral Oil / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011017:Pneumonia, Lipid / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D002400:Cathartics; D008899:Mineral Oil