[Silicoproteinosis: a specific clinical and radiological entity]

Silicoproteinosis is a rare disease, which can cause the rapid onset of respiratory failure following massive exposure to silica dust.

A 25-year-old patient presented with altered state and dyspnea. The diagnosis of military pulmonary tuberculosis was first considered and antituberculous treatment was started. The diagnosis was reconsidered due to a lack of improvement and the discovery of an 18-month history of exposure to silica. The patient had stopped work 6 months prior to hospitalization. High-resolution CT showed air space condensation associated to centrilobular nodules throughout the lungs and multiple mediastinal lymph nodes, suggesting sarcoidosis. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) suggested the diagnosis of lipoproteinosis. Because of discordance between the bacteriological, radiological and the BAL results, a surgical lung biopsy was performed which led to the diagnoses of a secondary lipoproteinosis. The diagnosis of silicoproteinosis was then considered. Over a one-year follow up, the patient's respiratory failure has progressed markedly despite treatment with corticosteroids.

Silicoproteinosis is a distinct pathological entity, the diagnosis of which depends on clinical and radiological features as well as BAL findings, which may avoid the need for more invasive investigations.