Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonia

A 38-year-old woman with a history of disordered eating involving repeated ingestion of salad oil followed by vomiting was referred for evaluation of a right lower-lobe pulmonary opacity. She had no respiratory symptoms, but fine crackles were heard on auscultation. Imaging revealed fat-density ground-glass opacities, and bronchoscopy showed yellow bronchial secretions. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid contained lipid-laden macrophages and extracellular oil droplets, confirmed histologically with Sudan III staining. The diagnosis was exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by chronic aspiration of oil. Following remission of the eating disorder through cognitive behavioral therapy, imaging abnormalities resolved after six months.

A 38-year-old woman with a history of disordered eating involving repeated ingestion of salad oil followed by vomiting was referred for evaluation of a right lower-lobe pulmonary opacity. She had no respiratory symptoms, but fine crackles were heard on auscultation. Imaging revealed fat-density ground-glass opacities, and bronchoscopy showed yellow bronchial secretions. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid contained lipid-laden macrophages and extracellular oil droplets, confirmed histologically with Sudan III staining. The diagnosis was exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by chronic aspiration of oil. Following remission of the eating disorder through cognitive behavioral therapy, imaging abnormalities resolved after six months.