Open AccessA case of lipoid pneumonia associated with occupational exposure to solvents in a dry‐cleaning worker
Author(s) -
Park Sunji,
Park Ji Eun,
Lee Jaehee
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
respirology case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.304
H-Index - 9
ISSN - 2051-3380
DOI - 10.1002/rcr2.762
Subject(s) - bronchoalveolar lavage , medicine , dry cough , pneumonia , dry cleaning , occupational exposure , sputum , occupational asthma , pathology , lung , environmental health , tuberculosis , waste management , engineering
Lipoid pneumonia can develop from exposure to different types of oil, but occupational exposure is rare. A 58‐year‐old woman was referred to our hospital for patchy airspace opacities in the lungs with lower lobe predominance on chest computed tomography. She was diagnosed with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma seven years ago, but was in complete remission. She had mild cough and sputum, but no history of taking any lipid‐containing agents. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed lipid‐laden macrophages with Oil Red O staining, which led to the suspicion of lipoid pneumonia. Re‐evaluation of her personal history revealed that she was a dry‐cleaning worker who worked with organic solvent sprayers. Her condition was successfully managed with corticosteroids and avoidance of further occupational exposure to the substance. This rare case of occupational exogenous lipoid pneumonia in a dry‐cleaning worker suggests the importance of considering a patient's occupational history during diagnosis.