We describe a 49-year-old female Japanese hairdresser who presented wi
th a 5-year history of exertional dyspnea, a nonproductive cough, and
occasional febrile episodes. Histological analysis revealed interstiti
al fibrosis with mononuclear cell infiltration, foreign body granuloma
, and numerous intra-alveolar macrophages and multinucleated giant cel
ls of foreign body type. Arterial blood gas, pulmonary function studie
s 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.