Hydrocarbon pneumonitis following diesel siphonage.

In our country, siphoning of diesel/petrol from fuel tanks is a common practice. We describe a 50-year-old farmer, who accidentally aspirated fuel while siphoning from his tractor. A diagnosis of diesel induced aspiration pneumonitis was confirmed by the presence of foam cells on bronchial biopsy. The patient showed gradual recovery with the symptomatic therapy. However two weeks later, he developed sudden chest pain and irregularly irregular pulse that proved fatal. Diesel aspiration leading to bilateral pneumonitis is yet to be reported in our country.