| Disease/Syndrome |
Chronic beryllium disease |
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| Category |
Interstitial Lung Disease |
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| Acute/Chronic |
Chronic |
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| Synonyms |
Chronic beryllium disease (CBD); Beryllium pneumoconiosis; Berylliosis |
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| Biomedical References |
Search PubMed |
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| Comments |
Acute beryllium disease has not been seen in the United States since beryllium was banned in the fluorescent and neon lamp industries in the 1960s. Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a granulomatous interstitial pneumonitis caused by a cell mediated, delayed hypersensitivity. It develops in only 1 to 3% of those exposed. Patients present with dyspnea on exertion. CBD is indistinguishable from sarcoidosis by older criteria; it is now diagnosed by BeLPT (beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test). [ATSDR Case Studies #19] The BeLPT is also useful in screening beryllium exposed workers. [Harber, p. 494] CBD has been diagnosed in workers exposed below the OSHA permissible exposure limit of 2 ug/m3 and in factories that used only 2% beryllium copper alloy. [J Occup Environ Med 1999 Apr;41(4):304-8] In addition to dyspnea, cough, fatigue, anorexia, and weight loss, symptoms of CBD may include fever, arthralgias, and chest pain. The typical chest x-ray findings in CBD are small nodular opacities throughout the lung fields, and mediastinal lymphadenopathy is present in about 1/3 of cases. Conglomerate masses and pleural reactions are seen in advanced cases. In addition to the above, the CT detects septal lines and areas of ground-glass attenuation. Pulmonary function studies show obstruction or mixed obstruction/restriction with restriction predominating in more advanced disease. Over 1/2 of workers who have an abnormal BeLPT develop chronic beryllium disease. [Harber, p. 491-2] Chronic kidney disease in CBD includes granulomas and interstitial fibrosis. [LaDou, p. 370-1] "Sensitization and CBD were associated with an area in which beryllium air levels exceeded 0.2 ug/m3, and not with areas where this level was rarely exceeded." [PMID 15712254] |
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| Latency/Incubation |
Few months to 40 years [Harber, p. 491] |
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| Diagnostic |
Clinical; BeLPT; Chest x-ray; HRCT |
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| ICD-9 Code |
503 |
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| Reference Link |
National Jewish Medical and Research Center - CBD |
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| Related Information in Haz-Map |
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| Symptoms/Findings |
Symptoms/Findings associated with this disease:
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| Job Tasks |
High risk job tasks associated with this disease:
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| Agents |
Hazardous agents that cause the occupational disease:
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