Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonia as a Contributory Factor in a Drug‐related Death |
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| Authors: | Emilie Moreau MD Camille Rérolle MD Marc Deveaux PharmD PhD François Paraf MD PhD Pauline Saint‐Martin MD |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Institut Médico‐Légal, CHRU de Tours, F‐37044 Tours, France;2. Université Fran?ois Rabelais, F‐37020 Tours, France;3. Toxlab, 7 rue Jacques Cartier, F‐75018 Paris, France;4. Service de Médecine Légale, CHU Dupuytren, F‐87042 Limoges, France;5. Additional information and reprint requests:;6. Pauline Saint‐Martin, M.D.;7. Institut Médico‐Légal;8. H?pital Trousseau;9. CHRU TOURS;10. 37044 TOURS Cedex 9;11. France;12. E‐mail: |
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| Abstract: | Postmortem investigation often reveals various conditions, which may or may not have played a part in the death of the individual. The case of a 32‐year‐old woman is reported, with a long history of drug addiction. She was found dead in her bed. The autopsy revealed diffuse pulmonary edema with congestion of the lungs, brain, liver, and spleen. Microscopic examination of the lungs showed multiple intra‐alveolar and interstitial foamy macrophages and extracellular fat droplets surrounded by polynuclear giant cells. Death was attributed to acute polydrug intoxication. As microscopic examination had revealed severe pulmonary lesions, lipoid pneumonia was considered as a contributing factor to death. Lipoid pneumonia is an uncommon entity with the characteristic radiograph features and histologic findings of alveoli filled with vacuolated, lipid‐laden histiocytes. It can be either exogenous or endogenous in cause, based on the source of the lipid. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia usually results from aspiration or inhalation of fat‐like material, such as mineral oil or petroleum‐based lubricants and decongestants, resulting in pulmonary inflammatory reactions. |
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| Keywords: | forensic science forensic pathology lipoid pneumonia drug intoxication buprenorphine unexpected finding autopsy |
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