A rare case of lipoid pneumonia attributed to amiodarone

Abstract

We report a case of endogenous lipoid pneumonia secondary to long-term use of amiodarone (> 30 years) for atrial fibrillation in a 76-year-old Caucasian woman, presenting with cough and dyspnea. Endogenous Lipoid pneumonia is a rare underdiagnosed condition more prevalent in adults. It is usually asymptomatic and a diagnosis is generally made in patients who have become clinically unstable or when an abnormal lung shadow is found on a chest X-ray. In the case here described it was diagnosed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) where fat-laden macrophages (oil red O stain) were identified. Since a history of use of oil-based products had been ruled out, amiodarone was deemed to be the most likely cause of lipoid pneumonia. The patient was managed with the replacement of amiodarone with digoxin and treated with oral prednisolone. The patient has remained clinically stable with radiological improvement during a follow-up of two years.