Exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by chronic improper use of baby body oil in adult patient.

INTRODUCTION

Exogenous lipoid pneumonia (ELP) is an uncommon condition resulting from aspirating or inhaling fatlike material. These substances elicit a foreign body reaction and proliferative fibrosis in the lung.

CASE REPORT

We report a case of a 38-year-old woman with bilateral pulmonary infiltration. There were no clinical symptoms of this infiltration at diagnosis. The infiltration was found coincidentally during the pre-operation examination before surgery. A chest computed tomography scan revealed bilateral lung consolidation, particularly in the S6 area on the right side. The transthoracic lung biopsy led to suspicion of ELP. Precise anamnesis confirms the diagnosis of ELP caused by chronic improper use of baby body oil. Two years after discontinuing "baby body oil therapy", a chest CT scan revealed partial regression of pulmonary infiltration.

CONCLUSION

The diagnosis of exogenous lipoid pneumonia is often difficult as symptoms, signs, and radiographic findings are all rather non-specific. We would like to emphasize the role of precise case history in better identification of ELP.