pnemoconiosus
Summary
Pneumoconiosis (the user has misspelled the term) is a group of restrictive interstitial lung diseases caused by chronic inhalation of inorganic mineral dusts and the resulting fibrotic reaction. Major boards types: coal worker's pneumoconiosis, silicosis, asbestosis, and berylliosis.
Detail
Inhaled dust particles (1–5 μm) deposit in distal airways and are engulfed by alveolar macrophages, which release cytokines (IL-1, TNF, TGF-beta) that recruit fibroblasts and drive interstitial fibrosis. Patterns by exposure: coal worker's pneumoconiosis (carbon, upper-lobe nodules, can progress to progressive massive fibrosis); silicosis (foundries, sandblasting, mining; eggshell hilar lymph node calcification, upper-lobe nodules, increased risk of TB because silica disrupts macrophage phagolysosomes); asbestosis (lower-lobe fibrosis, ferruginous bodies, ivory pleural plaques, mesothelioma, bronchogenic carcinoma); berylliosis (aerospace, electronics; non-caseating granulomas indistinguishable from sarcoidosis, treated with steroids). All produce restrictive PFTs with decreased DLCO. Caplan syndrome = pneumoconiosis + RA.
Sources
- First Aid for USMLE Step 1 2024
- Robbins Basic Pathology 10th ed
- Pathoma
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