- Susceptibility of the lungs to infection with frequent occurrence of broncho-pulmonary infections.
- Chronic obstructive bronchitis (COB) (J42.)
- A doubling of risk of COPD of the kidney smoker occurs in coal mines with a cumulative exposure of about 100 particulate matter years; (particulate matter years= mg/m3 x work years).
- emphysema (J43.9)
- Cor pulmonale (I27.9)
- Silico-tuberculosis (10% of cases)
- Lung cancer: doubling of the risk of lung cancer compared to the non-affected population.
Silicosis and autoimmune diseases:
Among persons with silicosis, the 1 022-case Michigan disease registry found a two- to eightfold risk of rheumatoid arthritis (Caplan syndrome)
a two- to eightfold risk of systemic lupus erythematosus
a > than 24-fold risk for systemic scleroderma (M34.0)
a > than 24-fold risk for ANCA+ vasculitis (Makol A et al. 2011).
Established. The most common autoimmune disease among silicosis patients is rheumatoid arthritis. ANCA-associated vasculitis is also much more common in silicosis patients than in the general population.
- Disease patterns of the rheumatic spectrum such as:
- Systemic scleroderma (M34.0).
- Caplan syndrome (combination of silicosis with rheumatoid arthritis)