The diagnosis of pneumoconiosis and novel therapies.
Authors
Wilt JL; Parker JE; Banks DE
Source
Occupational lung disease. Banks DE, Parker JE, eds. New York: Chapman & Hall Medical, 1998 Apr; :119-138
Link
NIOSHTIC No.
20000169
Abstract
Pneumoconioses are lung diseases which result from mineral dust deposition in the lung and the subsequent host response. This term is derived from the Greek language (pneumo, the Greek root for lung and konis, the root for dust) and has been applied in clinical medicine since the early 19th century (Meiklejohn, 1951). These are illnesses rooted in antiquity, which have had their highest human toll during the industrial age, yet it remains a tragedy of our time that these preventable diseases have not disappeared. A number of respiratory manifestations associated wit the inhalation, retention and tissue reaction to mineral dusts have been described and reflect the different effects of these dusts on the lung (Ballan et al., 1993). Although a wide variety of mineral dusts are implicated in disease, all share common diagnostic criteria. The focus of this report is the description of diagnostic criteria for the most frequently occurring disorders. These are illnesses attributable to coal dust inhalation [coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP)], inhalation of dusts containing crystalline silica (silicosis), and inhalation exposure to asbestos fibers (asbestosis and other asbestos-related pulmonary disorders). Novel, but unproven, therapeutic approaches which may alter the natural history of pneumoconioses will also be considered. There are three major criteria for the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis. The first is a sufficient exposure to a mineral dust known to cause pneumoconiosis with an appropriate latency period. Exposures to silica, coal or asbestos occur most commonly in an occupational setting. The second criteria is the recognition of a characteristic chest radiograph which meets published standards for the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis. Although respiratory symptoms and impairment in lung function commonly occur in workers diagnosed to have pneumoconiosis, neither is requisite for the diagnosis. The third is the absence of an illness which might mimic pneumoconiosis. Disseminated mycobacterial or fungal disease might mimic CWP or silicosis, as may sarcoidosis. Asbestosis is not infrequently confused with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia, or interstitial lung disease associated with collagen vascular disease (Bands et al., 1993; Wilt and Banks, 1995). The diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, therefore, is a clinical one and only in the very unusual situation is a lung biopsy indicated to make the diagnosis.
Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.
For more information on CDC's web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.
CDC.gov Privacy Settings
We take your privacy seriously. You can review and change the way we collect information below.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests.
Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data.
Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties.
Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page.