[Silicosis among former copper mine workers].

There is a dearth of Brazilian studies analyzing the effect of ongoing exposure to silica among former copper mine workers, as radiographic readings for silicosis have received widespread medical attention. The scope of this study is to investigate the clinical and radiological manifestations of silicosis among former copper mine workers. A sample of 100 former copper miners had their clinical and occupational histories recorded and underwent chest radiography in a cross-sectional study that included personal interviews in which their age, sex and time worked in copper extraction were recorded. Patients with recent chest X-Rays brought them with them, or they signed a term of consent and X-Rays were taken and analyzed by the radiologist using the Student t Test and Pearson test. Among the 100 miners, 35% had silicosis, 11% had conditions other than silicosis, such as tuberculosis, emphysema, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, and 54% had no pulmonary lesions. The high incidence of silicosis reinforces the recommendation that exposure should be halted as soon as an X-ray detects the condition.