A case of exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by Vaseline to the tracheostomy in a laryngectomy patient

A 65-year-old man, who had undergone laryngectomy two years earlier, was incidentally found to have nodular shadows and ground-glass opacity (GGO) in both lower lobes, identified nine months ago, which gradually progressed. He was diagnosed with lipoid pneumonia based on a transbronchial lung biopsy. The daily application of Vaseline to the tracheostomy site was considered the cause of exogenous lipoid pneumonia. Although GGO improved after the discontinuation of Vaseline use, it persisted 2 years later. This case is notable for its unusually short onset interval of 1.5 years and the longest reported follow-up of Vaseline-induced lipoid pneumonia after laryngectomy.