Pulmonary berylliosis: report on a fatal case

A fatal case of pulmonary berylliosis in a 59-year-old male is described. Three months after a heavy exposure to the dust of broken fluorescent light bulbs he developed severe respiratory distress with bilateral lower zone opacities on the chest radiograph. Histological examination of a lung biopsy revealed inflammatory changes with a granulomatous component and some necrosis. The diagnosis of berylliosis was confirmed by determination of beryllium in lung tissue by chemical analysis. Two years after the onset of symptoms the patient died of respiratory failure.