[Silicosis with a rapid and pseudo-tumoral course occurring in a case of pre-existant progressive and treated pulmonary sarcoidosis in a miner little exposed to silicosis risk : sarcoido-silicosis (author's transl)].

The authors report the case of a miner suffering from pulmonary and nodal sarcoidosis treated with corticosteroids where during a multivisceral exacerbation with iritis and erythema nodosum there developed rapidly progressive pseudo-tumoral silicosis. Pulmonary and nodal biopsies by thoracotomy revealed silicotic masses in the upper lobe, penetrated and bordered by sarcoid granulomas. In the middle lobe and hilar nodes, only sarcoid process was present. This new entity, sarcoido-silicosis, follows its own course, insensitive to corticosteroids. By virtue of its immune status, sarcoidosis favourised the rapid development of silicosis, the latter being unexpected since exposure had been moderate. Deficiency in the elimination of silica particles from the lungs is discussed. A trial of treatment using aluminium hydroxy-allantoinate did not lead to any conclusion.