Lipoid pneumonia: a case of cavitary bilateral nodular opacity

Lipoid pneumonia is a rare disease resulting from the inhalation of fatty or oily materials into the lungs. It can look like acute or chronic pneumonia or a localized granuloma (called paraffinoma). The clinical and radiological features are usually nonspecific and can suggest lung cancer or tuberculosis. As in most cases accidental inhalation of fatty material escapes anamnestic investigation, lipoid pneumonia is rarely diagnosed without invasive intervention. The present study refers to a case of cavitary bilateral nodular opacity due to the accidental inhalation of paraffin oil used as a laxative, whose radiological appearance was quite similar to Wegener's granulomatosis.