干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

As pneumoconiosis is usually linked with industrialized societies, we undertook a search for pneumoconiosis in Saudis engaged in traditional occupations. Three cases of advanced silicosis of the lung with progressive massive fibrosis were detected. In two cases, two patients were life-long diggers of wells, and one a grave-digger. The search also detected 13 cases of desert lung (simple siliceous pneumoconiosis); 11 of the patients were females engaged in traditional women’s chores like dusting tents. However, two patients were men with no such history, which supports the view that desert lung could be an environmental lung disease; the suspended dust in the periphery of the City of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia averaged 3810/-mu-g/m3. Although desert lung was thought to be free of significant fibrinogenic activity, we document progressive massive fibrosis in desert lung by CT scanning. Finally, 10 of the 11 women with desert lung had cataract of the eye which lends support to the previously described association between the two conditions. The basis for such an association is discussed.