Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis and Aluminum Dust Exposure
- 1 August 1984
- journal article
- case report
- Published by American Thoracic Society in American Review of Respiratory Disease
- Vol. 130 (2) , 312-315
- https://doi.org/10.1164/arrd.1984.130.2.312
Abstract
A 44-yr-old male presented with shortness of breath, diffuse X-ray infiltrates, and physiologic evidence of a restrictive lung disease. Biopsy revealed pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. The patient had worked for the previous 6 yr as an aluminum rail grinder in a very dusty environment. Analysis of his lung tissue revealed greater than 300 X 10(6) particles of aluminum/g dry lung; all of the particles appeared as spheres of less than 1 mu diameter. We believe that this case represents an example of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis induced by inhalation of aluminum particles; this finding confirms animal studies which suggest that proteinosis can be produced by very large doses of many types of finely divided mineral dust.Keywords
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