Anthracosis in translation means "coal." Therefore, the disease anthracosis of the lungs arises from dusting with coal dust of the lungs. Coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue are the main symptoms that progress. We will tell in more detail about the causes of the development of the disease, about the methods of its treatment and forecasts in the above article.
Anthracosis of the lungs - what is it?
Anthracosis is pneumoconiosis, which develops with prolonged exposure to coal dust on lung tissue. Often anthracosis is caused by activities in a particular industrial area. Usually lung anthracosis occurs in miners who are engaged in coal mining.
The term "anthracosis" was first proposed by the English scientist Stratton in 1838. He faced a number of fatalities in the miners of coal mines. All cases related to anthracosilicosis.
There are two types of anthracosis: silicoanthracosis or anthracosilicosis. They are diagnosed depending on the prevalence of a particular type of dust.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung pathology involving the presence of scar tissue in the respiratory system, which disrupts the function of normal respiration. The possibility of developing such a complication is great. Most often, such pathologies are observed in those miners who are involved in the extraction of anthracite coal. This coal contains silica.
Anthracosis usually occurs in coal mines, which are engaged in coal mining and shipment. Specialists distinguish between two groups of anthrax hazardous professions among those working in a coal mine:
- a group of people who are involved in tunneling. Usually they develop silicoanthracosis;
- a group of people who come in contact with coal dust, these are mainly slaughterers, machinists of cutting machines, coal shipping workers.
The decisive factor in the development of pulmonary fibrosis is mechanical. During dusting of the lungs with coal dust, tissue irritation occurs. Accordingly, dust particles block the lymphatic system of the lungs. For this reason, lymph flow is disturbed. Stasis appears in the vessels of the lymph, connective tissue grows. Consequently, peculiar foci of perivascular and peribronchial pneumosclerosis (stagnation of blood in the lungs) appear.
Classification
Based on the results of the X-ray of patients, specialists came to the conclusion that changes in lung tissue are divided into two types:
- spotted anthracosis (benign fibrosis);
- massive massive pulmonary fibrosis.
With the course of Friday anthracosis, the patient's condition is relatively favorable. In the lungs are localized foci of coal pigmentation. They are called "anthracite spots." Fibrosis is usually mild. However, nodules with a size of 1 cm are present on the x-ray in the lung tissue. This means that local centrilobular emphysema (damage to the alveoli) is slowly progressing.
Massive pulmonary fibrosis at a progressive stage is usually found in those patients who have complications (pulmonary tuberculosis). Usually a disease of this form is combined with another pathology - rheumatoid arthritis. More commonly known as Kaplan syndrome or Colin.
Progressive massive pulmonary fibrosis is an extremely unfavorable phenomenon. With no treatment, the structure of lung tissue can radically change. Outwardly, it will resemble a honeycomb. Doctors call this phenomenon "cell lung." Thus, a pulmonary heart is formed. The ending of such a disease is sad. Most often - a fatal outcome due to an accompanying pathology: cardiopulmonary failure.
Causes
First of all, it is necessary to highlight the main mechanisms for the development of coal pneumoconiosis:
- coal dust is concentrated in ambient air;
- experience in coal production;
- predisposing factors: smoking;
- in case of non-compliance with labor protection requirements;
- violations in the technology of the coal mining process;
- with chronic respiratory diseases.
Lung anthracosis is most often found in miners, in mining and processing plants, coke plants, and also those who have worked in the coal industry for at least 15 years.
Changes in the radiological level develop in those workers who produce anthracite coal, less often - in workers who produce hard coal and brown coal.
About the origin of the disease
Anthracosis of the lungs: pathanatomy is expressed by the occurrence of coal anthracite dust in the lungs. It is this dust that causes lung sclerosis, in contrast to bituminous coal dust and charcoal.
Developing sclerosis of the lungs is more related to the fact that silicon dioxide acts. They are contained in various quantities in coal seams. Directly coal dust itself does not contain sclerosing substances.
However, Russian researchers believe that coal dust causes a sclerosing effect, but to a lesser extent, unlike quartz.
Pure anthracosis is more benign, unlike silicosis. Reason: coal dust is excreted through the bronchial tree due to macrophages.
Along with anthracosis, miners also encounter other forms of the disease: silicosis or anthracosilicosis, since coal dust contains impurities of silicon dioxide.
Small particles of coal dust enter the body by inhalation, by inhalation. Most of them settle on the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, trachea and bronchi. With the help of the movements of the eyelashes of the ciliated epithelium, which is in the bronchi, the formed mucus is removed to the outside. High-concentration dust particles penetrate the lower respiratory tract. Then they can be seen on x-ray in the lumen of the alveoli. With lymph flow, coal dust particles are transferred to the bronchi, trachea, and other lymph glands. Lungs become gray-black, stained.
With constant irritation of the bronchi, chronic catarrhal bronchitis, lung cirrhosis develops.
Symptomatology
Anthracosis develops rather slowly. It usually manifests itself in miners whose work experience reaches from 15 to 20 years. With anthracosis of the lungs, the symptoms depend on the stage of development of the disease:
- Stage 1: symptoms may not appear at all, but in rare cases. Most often, there is rapid fatigue, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath during physical exertion. According to x-ray data, it is possible to see that foci with a diameter of 1 to 5 mm are formed in the middle sections of the lungs, the roots of the lungs are slightly widened, and the pulmonary pattern is gradually deformed.
- Stage 2: shortness of breath even at rest, general weakness, cough and thoracalgia. On the lungs, small focal shadows increase, emphysema (pathological changes in lung tissue) is expressed. Pleura thickens.
- Stage 3: pronounced signs of respiratory failure. At this stage, a second form of lung anthracosis proceeds - progressive massive fibrosis. Among the symptoms there is coughing up sputum of black color, a breakthrough of fibrous caverns in the airways. Complications are serious: pulmonary hypertension with right ventricular failure. Massive blackouts up to 10 cm in size and a large number of small focal formations with the “cellular lung” phenomenon mentioned above are noticeable on the X-ray of the lungs.
Patients suffering from pulmonary anthracosis are at first risk for developing pulmonary tuberculosis. Pulmonary anthracosis can be accompanied by anthracosis of the skin when coal particles enter the dermis.
Diagnostic methods
Anthracosis of the lungs requires careful determination of the form of the disease. The initial stage of diagnosis includes x-ray examination, computed tomography of the lungs.
During a physical examination (a set of diagnostic methods), breathing is weakened and the shape of the chest is determined - with anthracosis, it has a barrel-shaped shape.
Thanks to spirometry, we can talk about the degree of disturbance of external respiration. Additionally, the gas composition of the blood is examined, which will indicate respiratory failure. Often, to exclude the development of lung pathology, bronchoscopy and biopsy of the lung tissue are performed.
Lung anthracosis: treatment
During the diagnosis of the disease, the patient must not allow subsequent contact with coal dust. If anthracosis of the lungs of stage 1 is detected, then the question immediately arises of transferring a person to another site, less dusty. It may be necessary to change professional activities. Sometimes the doctor puts a disability of 2 or 3 degrees.
In addition, the patient must limit himself in physical exertion, stop smoking and be careful not to get a viral infection into the body.
Doctors have not yet developed special treatment. Therapy is symptomatic. Depending on the stage of the disease, the doctor prescribes steroid drugs, bronchodilators and a complex of vitamins. Among the physiotherapeutic methods: inhalation, percussion massage of the chest.
Special equipment
When a disease is detected, lung anthracosis is a micropreparation N.O. Kryukova used. Thanks to it, you can see how much exogenous black pigment (soot, coal dust particles) has accumulated in the lungs. Small particles of dust fill the lymph vessels, they are visible in the focus of sclerosis.
Another drug is also used - a macro preparation. Anthracosis of the lung is expressed by enlarged lymphatic peribronchial nodes. Their doctors call shooters. With anthracosis of the lungs, the description of the macro preparation is expressed by compacted and enlarged arrows. In the lung tissue - accumulation of coal pigment (anthrocosis). You can examine the foci of the disease in more detail. Connective tissue grows around the bronchi and blood vessels.
Prevention
Anthracosis of the lungs is a disease that slowly progresses. If it is too late to identify, then complications cannot be avoided. It is the complications that determine the outcome of the disease.
Prevention of the disease consists in carrying out engineering and technical measures that are aimed at reducing dust emission and minimizing the contact of workers with coal dust. It is necessary to use personal protective equipment - respirators.
Miners should undergo regular medical examinations.
What are the forecasts?
Progression of the disease can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular failure, and disability. A possible manifestation of these serious complications should motivate every miner to undergo a full medical examination on time. Remember that it is easier to cure the disease at the initial stage, and not at the last. Be healthy and protect yourself from coal dust!