NONTUBERCULOUS PULMONARY CAVITATION IN ANTHRACOSILICOSIS

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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the occurrence of "non- tuberculous" ischemic cavitation in Third-State anthracosilicotic masses in the lungs. The adjective "nontuberculous" is used to point out what these cavities are not, and the adjective "ischemic" is used to suggest their probable true nature. Between November, 1950, and March, 1956, approximately 1200 cases of anthracosilicosis in all stages were seen. Of these, 2% were complicated by tuberculosis and 1% proved to have nontuberculous cavities. Clinical differentiation between these 2 groups was made by bacteriological means. Besides, in 4 of 10 cases reported in this paper, that came to autopsy, further proof was afforded in support of the nontuberculous nature of the cavitation by the postmortem findings. In our 10 cases with nontuberculous cavitation, the symptomatology as well as the mortality was chiefly due, not to the cavitation, but to the complicating emphysema and/or cor pulmonale in failure. It should be stressed that even though its incidence is low, the occurrence of nontuberculous cavitation in third stage anthracosilicosis should be recognized.