Interstitial pneumonitis and fibrosis associated with the inhalation of hair spray.

We describe a 49-year-old female Japanese hairdresser who presented with a 5-year history of exertional dyspnea, a nonproductive cough, and occasional febrile episodes. Histological analysis revealed interstitial fibrosis with mononuclear cell infiltration, foreign body granuloma, and numerous intra-alveolar macrophages and multinucleated giant cells of foreign body type. Arterial blood gas, pulmonary function studies and computed tomographic findings demonstrated improvement 6 months after cessation of exposure to the salon. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid findings suggested that the development of lung disease in this case was triggered by an allergic mechanism rather than the storage of hair spray ingredients in the lung.