Lung CT findings in patients working as cooks

Abstract

The clinical manifestations and CT findings of 26 patients, who were full-time cooks working in small restaurants, were analyzed retrospectively. The main clinical manifestations were chest congestion, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough and hemoptysis. Lung CT scanning revealed lung carcinoma in 1 case, pulmonary nodules in 16 cases including 2 cancerous nodules confirmed in the follow-up review, pulmonary bulla in 6 cases, emphysema in 4 cases, fibro-proliferative lesions in 8 cases, interstitial pneumonia in 4 cases and fungal ball in 1 case. Among 26 patients, 12 had two or more concurrent intrapulmonary lesions. The results suggest that long-term exposure to cooking oil fume may lead to a series of pulmonary pathological changes, and attention should be paid to the occupational hazards of cooks. Key words: Cooking oil fumes; Granuloma, lung; Tomography, X-ray computed