Silicosis classification

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

There are 5 subtypes of silicosis that are differentiated according to the duration of exposure, development of symptoms, pulmonary function, and findings on chest imaging. Silicosis is classified as either simple chronic, complicated chronic, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, accelerated silicosis, and acute silicosis.

Classification

There are 5 subtypes of silicosis that are differentiated according to the duration of exposure, development of symptoms, pulmonary function, and findings on chest imaging.

Subtype	Duration of Exposure	Symptoms	Pulmonary Function	Imaging Findings
Simple Chronic	Disease develops > 10 years following exposure to low - moderate concentrations of silica dust	Often asymptomatic	May be normal or reduced	Nodules < 10 mm
Complicated Chronic	Disease develops > 10 years following exposure to silica dust	Dyspnea and cough	May be normal or reduced	Nodules > 1 cm with either obstructive or restrictive changes of variable severity
Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis	Disease develops > 10 years following exposure to silica dust.	Dyspnea	May be normal or reduced	Diffuse reticulonodular pattern similar to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Accelerated Silicosis	Disease develops 5 to 10 years following high exposure to silica dust	Dyspnea, weakness, and weight loss	Reduced with rapid deterioration of FVC and FEV1	Rapidly progressing nodules and masses
Acute Silicosis	Disease develops within 5 years of exposure to extremely high concentrations of silica dust	Severe, disabling dyspnea, weakness, weight loss, and progressive respiratory failure	Reduced with restrictive changes and reduced diffusion capacity	Bilateral perihilar acinar pattern consolidations with ground glass appearance