Talcosis
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Joshua Yap had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Joshua Yap's current disclosures- Talcosis
- Talcosis of lung
- Talcosis of lungs
- Talcosis of the lung
- Pulmonary talcosis
Talcosis is a type of pneumoconiosis and can be prevalent in intravenous drug users. It is one of the four recognized types of talc-induced lung disease.
On this page:
Pathology
Talc (magnesium silicate) is used in the preparation of tablets intended for oral use, where it acts as a 'filler' and lubricant. When these tablets are ground down, dissolved and injected for illicit use, the talc accumulates in the pulmonary circulation. These deposits result in small foreign body reaction granulomas, which are birefringent under polarized light. If use is persistent the nodules can coalesce to form larger masses.
Radiographic features
Intrinsically hyperdense micronodules (<1 mm) can be visible on CT.
CT
- ground-glass opacities 4
- hyperdense micronodules (<1 mm)
- conglomerate masses, similar to progressive massive fibrosis of silicosis 2
- panlobular emphysema thought to be as a result of methylphenidate (Ritalin) use rather than talc
See also
References
- 1. Ward S, Heyneman LE, Reittner P et-al. Talcosis associated with IV abuse of oral medications: CT findings. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2000;174 (3): 789-93. doi:10.2214/ajr.174.3.1740789 - Pubmed citation
- 2. Marchiori E, Souza AS, Franquet T et-al. Diffuse high-attenuation pulmonary abnormalities: a pattern-oriented diagnostic approach on high-resolution CT. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2005;184 (1): 273-82. AJR Am J Roentgenol (full text) - Pubmed citation
- 3. Marchiori E, Lourenço S, Gasparetto TD et-al. Pulmonary talcosis: imaging findings. Lung. 2010;188 (2): 165-71. doi:10.1007/s00408-010-9230-y - Pubmed citation
- 4. Padley SP, Adler BD, Staples CA et-al. Pulmonary talcosis: CT findings in three cases. Radiology. 1993;186 (1): 125-7. Pubmed citation
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