Pulmonary Talcosis

Pulmonary Talcosis Clinical Features:

• May initially have non-specific respiratory symptoms.
• Examination may show finger clubbing & respiratory crackles.
• Condition may progress even after exposure has halted.
• More severe symptoms with disease progression include dyspnoea, hypoxaemia & eventually pulmonary hypertension with cor pulmonale.

Talcosis Radiological Features:

• May be pleural plaques similar to asbestos plaques.
• The plaques will often involve the diaphragm, & also occasionally the pericardium.
• Interstitial disease pattern - reticular or nodular, which may appear like asbestosis.
• May develop confluent masses.

Talcosis Aetiological Factors:

• Exposure may be either inhalational or intravenous.
• Industrial settings - mining, milling, rubber industry.
• High exposure from personal talcum powder use.
• Heroin use - where talc is used as an adulterant.

Talcosis Pathophysiology:

• Talc is hydrated magnesium silicate.
• Related to silicosis in view of silicate composition.
• Talc may cause disease in association with other minerals, as there is often contamination with silica, or asbestos.

Image Details: Granulomatous inflammation of the lung secondary to a foreign body reaction in heroin intravenous drug use (IVDU), foreign material demonstrated as talc, H&E stain. By Nephron on Wikipedia (cc)

Tags: Asbestos - Heroin - IVDU - Magnesium Silicate - Milling - Mining - Silica - Silicosis - Talcosis - Inhalational Talcosis - Talcosis
Posted by Medicalchemy
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