Neumonia lipoidea: causa infrecuente de infiltrados pulmonares / Lipoid pneumonia: an infrequent cause of pulmonary infiltrates

La presencia de infiltrados pulmonares es un hallazgo frecuente que incluye un amplio diagnóstico diferencial basado en muchas ocasiones en la historia clínica. Entre ellas, la neumonía lipoidea exógena representa una entidad poco frecuente y es preciso un elevado índice de sospecha para alcanzar su diagnóstico y evitar su progresión. En estos casos, un contexto clínico adecuado y una TC con opacidades y áreas de baja densidad pueden ser altamente sugestivos de la enfermedad. Se presenta un caso de neumonía lipoidea exógena secundaria a la utilización continuada de sustancias oleosas intranasal, que debido a los antecedentes del paciente y a las posibilidades diagnósticas tras los hallazgos de la TC, precisó confirmación histológica.

The presence of pulmonary infiltrates is a frequent finding that includes a large differential diagnosis based on many occasions in the clinical history. Among them, exogenous lipoid pneumonia represents a rare entity and a high index of suspicion is necessary to reach its diagnosis and prevent its progression. In these cases, an adequate clinical context and a CT with opacities and low density areas are highly suggestive of the disease. We present a case of exogenous lipoid pneumonia secondary to the continued use of oily substances at the nasal level, due to his antecedents and the diagnostic possibilities after the CT findings, histological confirmation was required.

Neumonía lipoidea exógena: Una causa inhabitual de nódulos pulmonares: casos clínicos / Exogenous lipoid pneumonia: report of three cases

Lipoid pneumonia is an unusual cause of aspiration pneumonia with diverse radiologic manifestations. One of these are pulmonary nodules in which the main differential diagnosis is pulmonary carcinoma. We report an 85 years old male, an 85 years old female and a 34 years old male in whom percutaneous biopsies of suspicious nodules were compatible with lipoid pneumonia.

Lipoid pneumonia: An uncommon entity.

Lipoid pneumonia is a rare form of pneumonia caused by inhalation or aspiration of fat-containing substances like petroleum jelly, mineral oils, certain laxatives, etc. It usually presents as an insidious onset, chronic respiratory illness simulating interstitial lung diseases. Rarely, it may present as an acute respiratory illness, especially when the exposure to fatty substance(s) is massive. Radiological findings are diverse and can mimic many other diseases including carcinoma, acute or chronic pneumonia, ARDS, or a localized granuloma. Pathologically it is a chronic foreign body reaction characterized by lipid-laden macrophages. Diagnosis of this disease is often missed as it is usually not considered in the differential diagnoses of community-acquired pneumonia; it requires a high degree of suspicion. In suspected cases, diagnosis may be confirmed by demonstrating the presence of lipid-laden macrophages in sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, or fine needle aspiration cytology/biopsy from the lung lesion. Treatment of this illness is poorly defined and constitutes supportive therapy, repeated bronchoalveolar lavage, and corticosteroids.