[Silicoasbestosis: report of three cases]

Silicoasbestosis is a rare pneumoconiosis due to the combined sclerosing effect of crystalline silica and asbestos fibres. We present here three cases (males, age: 66-75 years), recently reported to the judicial and workers' compensation authorities. The exposures occurred in the building and siderurgic industries, several years before retirement. The radiological pictures were characterized by diffuse nodular opacities, interstitial alterations, emphysema, pleuric plaques and thickenings. The patients described show that, still nowadays, silicoasbestosis may be observed in the clinical setting. Accurate occupational and environmental anamnesis are helpful for the correct diagnosis which, in turn, is important for prognosis and treatment, and in relation to medicolegal issues.