Is it safe to work in a fast-food kitchen? a case of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax with cholesterol granuloma

Cholesterol granulomas are defined as cystic lesions containing cholesterol crystals surrounded by foreign body giant cells, fibrous tissue reaction and chronic inflammation. A 31-year-old male patient presented at the thoracic surgery outpatient clinic with a left apical recurrent pneumothorax. Bullectomy with multiple wedge resections was performed through a mini-thoracotomy. Histopathological examination of the resection material showed emphysematous lung and bullae + cholesterol granuloma. The patient had been working in a fast-food kitchen and at the french fries section, in particular, for nearly the past four years and had been exposed through inhalation to exogenous oil and oil products derived from vaporized vegetable and animal oil. We believe that staff working at a fast food kitchen and at the french fries section, in particular, should work using protective measures such as a mask and good ventilation.

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