[A case of arc welder's lung with ground-glass opacities and progressive massive fibrosis]
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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Tomohisa Yokoyama1, Masahiro Aoshima, Eri Kurakawa
1First Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical University.
Abstract:
A 62-year-old man who had worked as a welder for 35 years was admitted with abnormal chest radiograph shadows. Chest CT scan showed ground-glass opacities (GGO) and nodular shadows (progressive massive fibrosis: PMF) with spiculation in both lung fields. Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) findings of a nodule (left segment 8) revealed many iron particles in the alveoli and positive staining for Fe (Berlin blue stain). Moreover, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of a GGO (left segment 4) revealed many iron particles and positive staining for Fe (Berlin blue stain) in macrophages. Serum ferritin was extremely high (6.352 ng/ml) and ferritin in the BAL fluid was 210 ng/ml. Taking the clinical course and pathological findings together, pneumoconiosis (arc welder's lung) was diagnosed. The most common chest CT pattern in arc welder's lung is ill-defined micronodules diffusely distributed in the lung like hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Arc welder's lung rarely presents as PMF. We report a case of arc welder's lung accompanied with PMF.
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Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
