OBJECTIVEWe sought to master the clinical characteristics and prognosis of hard mental lung disease, improving this disease's diagnosis and treatment quality.

METHODSWe recruited two suspected patients with hard mental lung disease and collected their occupational history, examination results of occupational health, and past medical records. By virtue of laboratory tests, high Kv chest radiography, CT and HRCT of chest, fiberoptic bronchoscopy and ECG examination, diagnostic report was synthesized respectively by respiratory physicians and pathologist from three different agencies. Then the report was submitted to diagnosis organizations of occupational disease, and diagnostic conclusion of occupational disease was drawn after discussion by at least three diagnosticians of occupational disease.

RESULTSWe found that both of the two suspected patients were exposed to dusts of hard metal, and length of exposure service ranged from 8 to 9 years. Clinical manifestations were dominated by dry cough, wheezing after activities, and pathological manifestation was characteristic giant cell interstitial pneumonia. The prognosis and outcome of the disease were different.

CONCLUSIONAccording to exact occupational exposure history, clinical manifestations, combined with the results of high Kv chest radiography, CT of chest and pathological manifestation, it can be diagnosed with hard mental lung disease.