This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
Published on October 3, 2019, a study by the Mayo Clinic has shed new light on the cause of vaping-linked lung injuries.
Lung biopsies from 17 people affected by the outbreak revealed injuries consistent with exposure to toxic chemical fumes, contradicting the prevailing theory of lipid accumulation in the lungs.
"While we can't discount the potential role of lipids, we have not seen anything to suggest this is a problem caused by lipid accumulation in the lungs," said Brandon Larsen, a surgical pathologist at Mayo Clinic Arizona.
Instead, the study suggests that the injuries are similar to those caused by direct chemical exposure, such as toxic fumes, poisonous gases, and toxic agents.
Of the 17 biopsies examined, all patients had vaped, and 71 percent had vaped with marijuana or cannabis oil. Two patients died, but they represent only a small fraction of the over 800 lung injury cases reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since July.
