LUNG NECROSIS AFTER PARAFFIN ASPIRATION

Authors

  • Ana Rita Costa Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Santa Marta Hospital, CHULC, Lisbon, Portugal
  • João Silva Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Santa Marta Hospital, CHULC, Lisbon, Portugal
  • Rita Barata Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Santa Marta Hospital, CHULC, Lisbon, Portugal
  • João Eurico Reis Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Santa Marta Hospital, CHULC, Lisbon, Portugal
  • Paulo Calvinho Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Santa Marta Hospital, CHULC, Lisbon, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48729/pjctvs.63

Abstract

Background: Fire breather´s lung is a rare condition that occurs after hydrocarbon aspiration. Case reports published experienced a good clinical outcome with conservative treatment. To our knowledge, there are no reported cases treated with pulmonary resection.

Case presentation: We report the case of a 35-year-old female trapeze artist, who suffered an accidental ingestion/ aspiration of liquid paraffin. Persistent fever and elevated inflammatory markers without clinical improvement with antibiotics and bronchoscopy was seen. Computed tomography scan showing middle lobe necrosis and abscess motivated a middle lobectomy for infection control. Postoperative recovery was uneventful.

Conclusion: There are some cases described in the literature, normally with a favourable evolution with conservative treatment. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that, in patients where serious complications have arisen, despite medical therapy, surgery may have an important role, and resection of the necrotic lung may prevent its potential life-threatening consequences.

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References

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Lizarzábal Suárez PC, Núñez Savall E, Carrión Valero F. Neumonía lipoidea por aspiración accidental de parafina en un «comedor de fuego». Arch Bronconeumol. 2015;51:530–531.

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Published

30-06-2020

How to Cite

1.
Costa AR, Silva J, Barata R, Reis JE, Calvinho P. LUNG NECROSIS AFTER PARAFFIN ASPIRATION. Rev Port Cir Cardiotorac Vasc [Internet]. 2020 Jun. 30 [cited 2024 Dec. 21];27(2):131-3. Available from: https://pjctvs.com/index.php/journal/article/view/63

Issue

Vol. 27 No. 2 (2020): April - June

Section

Clinical Cases

License

Copyright (c) 2020 Portuguese Journal of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Surgery

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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