Respiratory Medicine · NEET PG Preparation Medicine
A 45-year-old cement worker presents with progressive dyspnea and dry cough. Chest radiograph shows bilateral upper lobe calcified nodular opacities,…
Practice question from Respiratory Medicine (NEET PG Preparation Medicine), with the correct answer and a step-by-step solution.
medium · MCQ · Q-8533EC
A 45-year-old cement worker presents with progressive dyspnea and dry cough. Chest radiograph shows bilateral upper lobe calcified nodular opacities, and some lymph nodes show peripheral 'eggshell' calcification. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) confirms these findings. He has a high risk of developing which of the following secondary pulmonary infections?
- A.Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia
- B.Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Silicotuberculosis)Correct answer
- C.Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- D.Cytomegalovirus pneumonitis
Solution
Silicosis is caused by the inhalation of free silica dust and characteristically presents with upper lobe nodular opacities and eggshell calcification of hilar lymph nodes. Patients with silicosis have a markedly impaired macrophage function, rendering them uniquely susceptible to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, a condition known as silicotuberculosis.
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