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Query: UMLS:C0032273 (pneumoconiosis)
 1,578 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Aluminoses are widespread forms of trace element deficiency of various severity. The organism is protected against a possible pathogenic influence of aluminum by a number of physiological mechanisms the most important among which is a regular urine excretion. A complex of pathological symptoms develops if serious homeostasis disturbances take place e. g. when renal deficiency or direct penetration of the trace element occur. The following forms of aluminosis should be distinguished: 1) simple accumulation in central nervous system which occurs in persons over 65 years; 2) aluminum accumulation in Alzheimer disease, in severe form of presenile and senile dementia; 3) dialysis aluminum encephalopathy; 4) non-dialysis infantile encephalopathy; 5) aluminum encephalopathy in total parenteral nutrition; 6) iatrogenic dialysis aluminum osteodystrophy; 7) jatrogenic peritoneal aluminosis; 8) aluminum pneumoconiosis of an occupational origin; 9) bronchospastic syndrome in aluminum smelter workers.
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PMID:[The most important human aluminoses]. 309 Sep 83

The problems encountered in diagnosing the rare types of pneumoconiosis ( silicatosis other than asbestosis, aluminosis and hard metals fibrosis), result from the difficulties in realising a good occupational anamnese and from the disease pattern by itself. The classical examinations, (X-rays of the thorax and lung function measurements), are not able to detect the cause of these diseases, which are fundamentally characterised by an absence of specificity. These last years, new methods of diagnoses (angiotensin converting enzyme, gallium scan, transbronchial biopsies, mineralogical, cytological and histological examinations of the lung tissues and of the bronchial alveolar lavage) were developed and progressively introduced in the daily practice in pneumology. Only the examination of lung biopsies and of the products of bronchial alveolar lavage, in particular the mineralogical examinations, may usefully orientate the diagnosis. The bronchial alveolar lavage has the advantage of an easy repetition and of a small invasive character. Moreover this technique is of a rather low financial cost. However the results of these examinations must be interpreted with the greatest caution, in function of the complete medical and occupational data. The experience following more than 500 BAL shows that the discovery of talc and kaolin is very significant for an exposition since these minerals were never observed among not exposed subjects. The evidence of these minerals argues also for the diagnosis of talcosis or kaolinosis if there are radiological lesions that are compatible with these diseases. On the other hand a recent study suggests that the identification of multinuclear macrophages and of tungsten and/of tantalum in the bronchial alveolar lavage is pathognomonic of the pathology of the hard metals.
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PMID:[Diagnostic problems in rare types of pneumoconiosis]. 667 4