Teppanyaki/Hibachi Pneumonitis: An Exotic Cause of Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonia

Exogenous lipoid pneumonia (ELP) is a rare type of inflammatory lung disease caused by aspiration and/or inhalation of fatty substances and characterized by a chronic foreign body-type reaction to intra-alveolar lipid deposits. The usual clinical presentation occurs with insidious onset of nonspecific respiratory symptoms and radiographic findings that can mimic other pulmonary diseases. Diagnosis of ELP is often missed or delayed as it requires a high index of suspicion and familiarity with the constellation of appropriate history and radiologic and pathologic features. We herein report a case of occupational exposure to tabletop “Teppanyaki” entertainment cooking as a cause of ELP, confirmed by surgical lung biopsies in a 63-year-old Asian woman who worked as a Hibachi-Teppanyaki chef for 25 years.