Artificial stone silicosis presenting as suspected Tuberculosis: A series of 3 cases at a district general hospital

Abstract

Silicosis is an ancient condition re-emerging globally due to outbreaks of accelerated disease related to the use of artificial stone. The initial presentations of three patients with silicosis due to artificial stone exposure at a district general hospital in London, all of whom presented with clinical symptoms and radiological features assumed to be tuberculosis, are reported. The associations between silica exposure and this infection are also described. This series aims to highlight that artificial stone silicosis is now a significant occupational lung disease in the UK of which clinicians working in infectious diseases should be aware of.