Abstract:

Objective To investigate the typical imaging features of pulmonary fibrosis due to paraquat poisoning. Methods Imaging and clinical data of a patient with paraquat poisoning and hospitalized in the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Hebei General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Results A 18-year-old female patient presented with diarrhea for 5 days, and coughing, sputum production, chest tightness, shortness of breath for 3 days. After admission, a detailed medical history was taken and relevant laboratory tests were completed. She was initially diagnosed with pneumonia and treated with anti - infection and expectorant therapies. However, her condition worsened despite the treatment. After further detailed inquiry into her medical history, paraquat poisoning was suspected. She was then treated with a combination of methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide as part of a comprehensive treatment regimen. Subsequently, she underwent lung transplantation at another hospital and had a good postoperative recovery. Conclusion In the absence of a known ingestion of paraquat, early imaging may show subpleural ground-glass opacity with band-like distributions, which can rapidly progress to pulmonary fibrosis. These imaging features have certain reference value for identifying paraquat poisoning.

Key words: paraquat poisoning, pulmonary fibrosis, ground-glass opacity