[Dust lung or dust-induced lung disease ( discussion on chronic dust-induced lung disease)].

The comment on the article by D. M. Zislin (Occupational Hygiene and Industrial Diseases, 1988, N 10) is presented. Proceeding from the author's own experience and literary data, the main statement of D. M. Zislin disputing the concept of dust pulmonary disease (DPD) in the modern occupational pulmonology, is analyzed. The common cause of pneumoconiosis and dust bronchitis has been identified as fibrogenic dust, allergic, carcinogenic and toxic characteristics of which can be only condition affecting the disease clinical character. The article shows that neither generality, nor the differences in the functional changes of external respiration can serve as a convincing argument for or against the existence of the concept of DPD. Modern histomorphologic studies give evidence that low-fibrogenic dusts practically simultaneously cause the onset of the pathologic process both in the interstitial tissue and in the bronchi, the outcome of the process being diffuse pneumosclerosis. The concept of DPD caused by low-fibrogenic dusts has been substantiated on the basis of common etiology and similar pathogenetic, clinical and functional manifestations.