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Circulatory Anatomy, Physiology and Regulation Diagram showing Capillary System and Mechanisms of Edema Formation Diagram showing Sources of Arterial Emboli |
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The presence of considerable amounts of inhaled pigmented particulate materials in the lungs of the majority of persons, especially those in urban centers, attests to the state of the environment. Environmental Pathology Online The most common condition, anthracosis, is seen in the lungs of almost every adult and is most noticeable in smokers. Black pigments is localized subpleurally in irregular patches, in the hilar lymph nodes, and around bronchi and intrapulmonic vasculature. Microscopically, the pigment consists of coal-like dust in lymph nodes and alveolar macrophages and around capillaries and larger vessels. Such material is apparently bland, since it does not appear to incite either inflammation or scarring. However, it may be accompanied by toxic substances, including polycyclic hydrocarbons, which are cytotoxic and account for the deleterious effects of cigarette smoking. ( Visit: Pneumoconiosis ; Coal Pneumoconiosis ; Diagram showing Pathogenesis of Pneumoconiosis ) Pneumoconiosis of coal workers is a serious condition encountered in anthracite coal miners. It develops over a period of years and leads to extensive deposition of black pigment in the lung. The impairment of respiratory function after the development of emphysema indicates that the dusts causing pneumoconiosis may not be identical to the common dusts responsible for anthracosis. Visit: Pulmonary Pathology Online
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