Exogenous lipid pneumonia: a clinical analysis of 9 cases / 中华全科医师杂志

ABSTRACT

The clinical data of 9 patients with exogenous lipid pneumonia confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed. There were 4 males and 5 females, aged 57-79 years, with a history of intestinal obstruction and oral administration of liquid paraffin. The main clinical symptoms were cough, expectoration and fever (8 cases), and combined with wheezing (5 case); and crackles and rhonchi were revealed on chest auscultation in all patients. The right lung lower lobe was involved in all 9 cases, the left lower lobe, right middle and lower lobe were also involved in 6 case. The CT scan showed that infiltration (7 case) and consolidation (6 case) were the most common imaging features, followed by the septal thickening (5 case) and pleural effusion (4 case); the low density fat-like changes within the consolidative opacities was a specific feature of lipid pneumonia (3 case). The lung biopsy was performed in the target site through bronchoscope, and pathology showed the interstitial fibrous tissue hyperplasia with chronic inflammatory cell infiltration and adipocyte-like cells. Six patients were treated with glucocorticoid and repeated bronchoalveolar lavage with good response, one cases died and two cases discharged automatically. The clinical manifestation and imaging features of exogenous lipid pneumonia are lack of specificity; transbronchial lung biopsy is an effective method for the diagnosis. The repeated bronchoalveolar lavage with saline combined with medication of glucocorticoids are effective for the treatment of exogenous lipid pneumonia.