Acute silicosis in teflon-coated pan manufacturing due to metal sandblasting

Sandblasting is one of the occupational causes of silicosis. This report details three cases diagnosed as silicosis caused by sandblasting in Teflon-coated pan manufacturing: Case 1--A 24-year-old man admitted with dyspnea and cough; Case 2--An 18-year-old man admitted with shortness of breath and fever; and Case 3--A 25-year-old man admitted with dyspnea and weight loss. Chest examinations of the first and second cases revealed crackles in both lungs, but the third case was normal, no crackles. Chest x-rays showed bilateral reticulonodular densities and hilar enlargement in all cases. They were clinically and radiologically diagnosed as silicosis due to occupational exposure. All cases had worked in the sandblasting unit at a Teflon-coated pan manufacturing factory for one to three years. Silicosis is a preventable occupational lung disease, but no effective treatment is available for the disease yet. Improving workplace conditions is the most effective way to prevent silicosis.