배경: 외국에서는 치과 의사, 치과 기공사 및 치과 관련업체 종사자들의 규폐증이 보고되었으나 국내에서는 이러한 증례가 보고 된 바를 찾지 못하여, 증례를 보고하고자 한다. 증례: 갑작스런 흉통으로 내원한 남자 환자는 기흉으로 흉관 삽입 치료 하였으며, 이후에 시행한 흉부 영상의학적 검사 결과 다수의 소음영 및 대음영이 관찰되었으며, 약 20여 년간 치과 처치용 도재(porcelain) 생산 공정에서 유리규산 분진에 노출된 직업력이 확인되어 규폐증 진단 받았다. 또한 규폐증으로 인해 이차성 기흉이 발병한 것으로 판단된다. 고찰: 본 증례의 근로자는 규폐증으로 인한 기흉을 진단 받기 이전에 이미 2차례의 기흉으로 시술 및 수술 받은 과거력이 있는 자로, 질병의 임상 양상과 경과 및 흉부 영상의학적 소견이 진폐증에 합당하였으며, 직업력 상규폐증을 유발할 수 있는 흡입성 분진에 노출된 것으로 판단하였다. 또한 직업적인 연관성 이외에 규폐증의 유발을 의심할 만한 거주지에서의 노출력이나, 특이적인 부업, 취미 생활 등은 발견하지 못하였다. 이에 직업적인 유리규산 분진 노출로 인한 규폐증 및 이로 인해 이차적으로 발생한 기흉으로 판단하였다.
Background: Silicosis is more likely to occur in people working in the mining industry. However, workers suffering from silicosis have recently been reported frequently in other areas. We present a case of silicosis occuring in a 43-year-old man who had worked for 20 years in a workplace producing dental porcelain. Case: The man was admitted to the emergency room with acute chest pain caused by pneumothorax. Chest X-ray indicated numerous small opacities spread over the whole lung field and a large opacity in the right middle lung field. According to ILO classification, the shape of the small opacities was t/s, the profusion rate was 2/3 and the large opacity was classified into the B category. Following this diagnosis of silicosis, the patient’s medical history and work exposure history were examined. According to his medical history, he had undergone closed thoracostomy in 2006 because he had suffered pneumothorax twice (in 2005 and 2006) and his smoking history was 7 pack years. In particular, he had been exposed to silica dust for 20 years in his workplace. Conclusion: Despite the absence of any specific risk factor that caused pneumothorax, the patient suffered this condition three times. All clinical results and the progress of his physical symptoms, including radiologic findings from chest X-ray and computed tomography, clearly supported the diagnosis of silicosis. Except for exposure to silica dust in the workplace, no other risk factors causing silicosis were found. Therefore, he was finally diagnosed as having silicosis caused by exposure to silica dust in the workplace and followed by pneumothorax.