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Article in Japanese
Abstract
Case Report
A case of aluminum lung in an aluminum foundry
Hiroyuki Kurebea,b Ryuya Edahiroa,c Yuji Yamamotoa,c Hiroshi Moriyamad,e Toshiaki Kikuchie Masahide Moria
aDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Hospital Organization Osaka Toneyama Medical Center
bDepartment of Respiratory Medicine and Immunology, Nippon Life Hospital
cDepartment of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University
dDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Hospital Organization Nishiniigata Chuo Hospital
eDepartment of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
ABSTRACT
A 64-year-old man who had been in the aluminum casting industry for 44 years suffered from dyspnea on exertion. Chest computed tomography revealed honeycomb lung and diffuse ground-glass attenuation mainly in both lower lobes. He was positive for proteinase 3-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA) and respiratory function tests showed marked restrictive ventilatory impairment. Histological findings obtained by thoracoscopic lung biopsy revealed no findings of vasculitis and the deposition of various metal elements, including aluminum, resulted in the diagnosis of aluminum lung. Steroid treatment had poor therapeutic effect. Respiratory failure gradually progressed, and he died five and a half years later. PR3-ANCA remained negative after the introduction of steroids.
KEYWORDS
Interstitial pneumonia Pneumoconiosis Elemental analysis Electron probe microanalyzer
Received 19 Jul 2023 ／ Accepted 18 Oct 2023
AJRS, 13(1): 33-38, 2024
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