Kaolin pneumoconiosis. A case report.

A 35-year-old man who had been occupationally exposed to aerosolized kaolin for 17 years in a Georgia processing plant had diffuse reticulonodular pulmonary infiltrates and an upper lobe mass. Exploratory thoracotomy, performed to evaluate the nature of the mass, revealed an 8 X 12 X 10-cm conglomerate pneumoconiotic lesion containing large amounts of kaolinite. Coincident deposition of silica in the tissue was not demonstrable by either analytic scanning electron microscopy or x-ray diffraction. The case illustrates the effect of chronic kaolin exposure on the human lung and emphasizes the need for periodic evaluation of exposed workers.