Sunami K, Kishimoto T, Fujioka H, Ozaki S, Inagaki N, Ugaki M
Department of Medicine, Okayama Rousai Hospital, Japan.
Nihon Kyobu Shikkan Gakkai Zasshi. 1995 Nov;33(11):1297-301.
A 60-year-old man with pneumoconiosis complained of general fatigue, exertional dyspnea, and anorexia. The patient had severe anemia, and laboratory examination revealed autoimmune hemolytic anemia with positive direct and indirect Coombs tests. After corticosteroid therapy, the anemia resolved markedly, and the antinuclear antibody test became negative. However, the silicotic shadow on chest X-ray film showed no remarkable change. The autoimmune hemolytic anemia in this case was probably due to an immunological disturbance caused by silicosis.
