Atypical Pneumoconioses in the Biopsy Material

Overview

The authors describe three cases of less frequent atypical pneumoconioses. The first patient, a 66 years old woman having beenexposed to fireclay dust for 20 years, suffered from silicatosis with concentration of dust in coniophages accumulated in tunicaadventitia of small vessels and bronchioles. The other patient, a 57 years old man having worked in various mines, in a quarry andin subway construction for 25 years, suffered from pneumoconiosis from mixed dust with the formation of fibrohyaline nodes andalso a macrophage related retention of dust in tunica adventitia of small vessels and bronchioles. In the third patient, a 68 yearsold man, employed as a welder 34 years ago for four years and later performing welding operations occasionally, we diagnoseda complicated siderosis with severe chronic inflammation, extensive fibrosis and subsequent epidermoid cancer which was thentreated by a left-side pulmectomy.An inadequately taken case history made impossible to suspect influence of the dust noxa and the diagnosis was established onlyby bioptic examination. The authors point out the etiological importance of inhalation exposure to dust and they also discuss howto evaluate the finding of iron deposits in the lungs.

Key words:
pneumoconiosis, silicatosis, siderosis, fireclay dust, welders, lung, iron