Lung disease due to abuse of hairspray.

A case of pulmonary lipid granulomata in association with abuse of hairspray was studied. Light microscopic and ultrastructural examination of the lung biopsy specimen demonstrated distorted alveolar architecture, with marked increase in interstitial collagen. Multiple macrophages, both interstitial and intraalveolar, contained abundant lysosomes and lipid vacuoles. Stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages were exposed to increasing concentrations of hairspray. Compared with control cells, the hairspray-exposed macrophages showed increased numbers of lysosomes as well as lipid vacuoles. These findings indicate that hairspray can induce pulmonary lesions.