Lipid Pneumonia Mimicking Lung Cancer in a Middle-Age Woman

Abstract

Lipid pneumonia is exceedingly rare, with only a few reported cases to date. A 46-year-old woman with a history of left breast cancer underwent a left-modified radical mastectomy, adjuvant chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Despite no known exposure to lipids, she presented with chronic non-productive cough and general malaise. Follow-up chest computed tomography revealed progressive ground-glass opacities in the left lower lung, initially suspected to be lobar bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Surgical intervention was performed for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, confirming the lesion as lipid pneumonia upon pathological examination, revealing the presence of foamy histiocytes.

Keywords: cyclophosphamide; foamy histiocytes; lipid pneumonia; lobar bronchioloalveolar carcinoma.

Fig. 1. Image modality survey. (A) CT scan disclosed GGO in the left lower lung 1 year before surgery. (B) Chest roentgenograms revealed infiltration in the left lung field. (C) CT scan disclosed progression in the size of GGO in the left lower lung. CT: computed tomography; GGO: ground-glass opacity

Fig. 2. (A) Foamy, finely vacuolated histiocytes within alveolar spaces (hematoxylin and eosin stain; 200×). (B) CD163 immunostain highlights foamy histiocytes (CD163; 200×).