부산대학교 도서관

Background. Hard metal lung disease is a occupational lung disease resulting from the inhalation of cemented carbide dust. It is a rare but sometimes serious disease. A history of exposure is important for the diagnosis, and a lung biopsy is useful to confirm the diagnosis. Case. The patient was a 43-year-old man. He had been engaged in metalworking using cemented carbide since he was 21 years old. He had developed dry cough at 42 years old and been referred to our department after chest computed tomography by his previous physician showed frosted shadows in the lower lobes of both lungs. Hard metal lung disease was considered the most suspected differential diagnosis based on his occupational history. A transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) was performed on the left lung lower lobe lesion. An elemental analysis of the lung tissue revealed tungsten, confirming the diagnosis of hard metal lung disease. The patient's condition improved with oral steroid therapy. Conclusion. We herein report a case of hard metal lung disease diagnosed by a TBLC. A TBLC is expected to be useful for improving the diagnostic rate and reducing invasiveness.