Desert lung refers to a nonoccupational pneumoconiosis associated with chronic inhalation of fine sand.
Features of desert lung:
(1) The patient has a long history of exposure to desert sand.
(2) The patient develops silicosis of the lung with miliary or predominantly miliary mottling on a chest imaging study.
(3) No other explanation for the findings.
Differential diagnosis:
(1) occupational silicosis or pneumoconiosis
(2) asthma (which may be made worse by dust exposure)
(3) COPD from smoking or other cause
(4) tuberculosis or other chronic lung infection
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Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
ICD-10: ,
