Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a pearl nucleus worker.
A 37-year-old woman had worked for 4 years in a shell-processing factory where considerable airborne dust was produced cutting and polishing fresh water shells into pearl nuclei. She had a dry cough and dyspnea. Transbronchial lung biopsy showed noncaseating granulomas and cellular intraalveolar infiltrates. High-resolution lung computed tomography (HRCT) showed diffuse small nodules and ground-glass opacities. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by shell dust should be considered in the appropriate clinical setting in a patient with the appropriate radiographic abnormalities.
Mitani
M
M
Department of Radiology, Kagawa Medical School, Japan.
Satoh
K
K
Kobayashi
T
T
Kawase
Y
Y
Hosokawa
N
N
Takashima
H
H
Kobayashi
S
S
Tanabe
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000542:Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008974:Mollusca; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D004391:Dust