Acrylic resin pneumoconiosis: report of a case in a dental student

Pneumoconiosis in dental laboratory workers has been associated with exposure to metal alloys and silica used in the manufacturing of dental prosthetics. In this report, we describe a 27-yr-old dental student who was found to have bilateral basal pulmonary interstitial infiltrates and nodules on a chest roentgenogram after a brief episode of upper respiratory infection. An open lung biopsy revealed interstitial pneumonitis with an abundance of vacuolated macrophages in the alveolar spaces. Ultrastructural analysis showed in the alveolar and interstitial spaces the accumulation of macrophages laden with electron-lucent bodies resembling plastic beads. An inhalation exposure history, taken subsequent to these findings, revealed exposure to high levels of acrylic plastic in a dental school laboratory. Removal from the site of exposure has resulted in the gradual resolution of the roentgenographic abnormalities.