occupational lung disease

Question 1

what is pneumoconiosis ?

Answer 1

an interstitial lung disease associated with inhalation of certain fibres initiating an inflammatory process and eventually leads to fibrosis of the lungs

Question 2

what is the primary prevention of occupational lung diseases ?

Answer 2

reduce exposure

Question 3

what is the primary exposure inn asbestos ?

Answer 3

during mining and milling

Question 4

what are the secondary exposure causes of asbestos ?

Answer 4

manufacturing using asbestos as with pipe workers
paint and cloth production
brake lining
ship construction

Question 5

what are the asbestos related lung diseases ?

Answer 5

pleural disease ( moat common )
asbestosis
bronchogenic carcinoma

Question 6

what are the associated pleural diseases ?

Answer 6

pleural plaques
pleural effusion
diffuse pleural thickening
rounded atelectasis
mesothelioma

Question 7

what do pleural plaques look like on chest x ray ?

Answer 7

localized thickening and calcifications along the level of the diaphragm

Question 8

what is diffuse pleural thickening commonly confused with ?

Answer 8

mesothelioma

Question 9

what is the differential diagnosis of rounded atelectasis ?

Answer 9

lung cancer (pseudocancer)

Question 10

where is the affection in asbestosis ?

Answer 10

in the lower lung fields

Question 11

what is heard on auscultation of asbestosis ?

Answer 11

bilateral, inspiratory rales

Question 12

how does asbestosis look like on chest x ray ?

Answer 12

bilateral diffuse reticulonodular opacities and honeycombing

Question 13

what is evident in the lung biopsy in asbestosis ?

Answer 13

barbell shaped fiber ( golden brown fusiform rods)

Question 14

what is silicosis caused by ?

Answer 14

inhalation of silica dust

Question 15

what occupations are associated with silicosis ?

Answer 15

mining
ceramic work
sandblasting
glass and pottery

Question 16

what does the pathology look like in silicosis ?

Answer 16

silicotic nodules

Question 17

what does acute silicosis look like on a chest x ray ?

Answer 17

diffuse alveolar filling pattern with lower lung zone predominance

Question 18

what does chronic scoliosis look like on chest X ray ?

Answer 18

nodules that are found in the upper lung lobe
nodules eventually turn into Progressive massive fibrosis
eggshell calcification of lymph nodes

Question 19

what is the most characteristic findings on an X ray of chronic silicosis ?

Answer 19

eggshell calcification of lymph nodes

Question 20

what is silicosis most commonly complicated by ?

Answer 20

tuberculosis , must have a tuberculin skin test done

Question 21

what is the cause of coal worker pneumoconiosis ?

Answer 21

parenchymal lung disease due to inhalation and deposition of coal mine and dust

Question 22

what is NOT a common characteristic found in coal worker pneumoconiosis ?

Answer 22

crackles and clubbing

Question 23

what are the x ray findings in simple CWP ?

Answer 23

small rounded opacities in the upper zone

Question 24

what are the primary lesions of CWP ?

Answer 24

coal macules

Question 25

what can a coal macule eventually develop into ?

Answer 25

coal nodule

Question 26

what is caplan syndrome ?

Answer 26

rheumatoid pneumoconiosis
association of rheumatoid arthritis and workers who have breathed in silica or coal

Question 27

how to treat caplan syndrome ?

Answer 27

deal with RF alone and PMF alone

Question 28

what kind of pattern is observed in ILD ?

Answer 28

restrictive

Question 29

what kind of pattern is seen in COPD ?

Answer 29

obstructive pattern

Question 30

how can we tell the difference between restrictive and obstructive patterns ?

Answer 30

restrictive pattern the FEv1/FVC ratio remains unchanged
so we need to look at each element alone
whilst
obstructive patterns the ratio is decreased

Question 31

in what type of diseases do we see a decrease in DLCO ?

Answer 31

in obstructive lung diseases such as COPD

Question 32

when could there be an increase in DLCO ?

Answer 32

alveolar haemorrhage

polycythemia

Question 33

when is clubbing seen ?

Answer 33

toxic
hypoxic
malignant

Question 34

what is thee sign seen on HRCT that denotes rounded atelectasis ?

Answer 34

comet tail sign

Question 35

what do the pulmonary function tests look like in asbestosis ?

Answer 35

restrictive impairment
reduction in lung volumes
decreased DLCO

Question 36

what stain is used in the alveolar sputum sample in sarcoidosis ?

Answer 36

Prussian blue

Question 37

patients who have coal worker pneumoconiosis are at a greater risk of developing ?

Answer 37

COPD

Question 38

what is the onset of asbestosis after exposure to asbestos ?

Answer 38

prolonged latency period