title: A stone miner with both silicosis and constrictive pericarditis: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The working environment of stone miners has been believed to cause their susceptibility to respiratory diseases. Silicosis is an occupational disease caused by exposure to crystalline silica dust which is marked by inflammation and scarring in the lung. The immune system boosted after the silica invasion led to self-damage and lay the foundation of silicosis pathogenesis. Silicosis coexisting with other diseases in one patient has been reported, however, was not reported to coexist with constrictive pericarditis. We, for the first time, reported a patient with silicosis and constrictive pericarditis and thought the immune response was probably the link between the two.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 59-year-old Chinese stone miner complained of chest distress was found to have lung nodules which were found to be silica deposits by biopsy. This patient was also found to have constrictive pericarditis at the same time. Later surgical decortication cured his symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provided the first case having constrictive pericarditis concomitant with silicosis. A probable link between the two diseases was the immune response boosted by the silica deposits.
authors: Yajian
authors: Y
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Pulmonology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 East Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China. shaofangchun@yahoo.com.cn.
authors: Fangchun
authors: F
authors: Shao
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000276:immunology* / Q000633:toxicity; D004391:Dust; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000276:immunology* / Q000633:toxicity; D012829:Silicosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust; D012822:Silicon Dioxide