title: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a pearl nucleus worker.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kagawa Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanabe
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004391:Dust