Silicosis

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Coal worker's lungs - chest X-ray	Coal workers pneumoconiosis, complicated #2	Coal workers pneumoconiosis - stage II	Coal workers pneumoconiosis - stage II #2
Respiratory system

Acute silicosis; Chronic silicosis; Accelerated silicosis; Progressive massive fibrosis; Conglomerate silicosis

• Chronic cough
• Shortness of breath with exercise, usually in patients who have progressive massive fibrosis

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease, especially in acute silicosis:

• Fever
• Cough
• Weight loss
• Severe breathing difficulty

Your health care provider will take a careful medical history that includes many questions about your occupations (past and present), your hobbies, and other activities that may have exposed you to excessive silica. A physical exam will also be performed. Diagnostic tests to confirm the diagnosis and exclude other diseases that may appear similar include:

• Chest x-ray
• Pulmonary function tests
• Purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test (for tuberculosis)

Review Date: 08/10/2005
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.