Differential Diagnoses For Berylliosis

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a form of lung inflammation that affects the alveoli (tiny air sacs) and the bronchioles (small airways) of an individual's lungs. This inflammation can manifest in several ways in which are similar to the manifestations of berylliosis. Chemicals or components in organic dust can trigger the hypersensitivity reaction that results in the characteristic inflammation of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The substance the affected individual's immune system reacts to is called an antigen. The antigen settles into the alveoli of the exposed individual's lungs, where white blood cells engulf it and cause structural and functional damage to surrounding tissues. The immune system also produces antigen-specific antibodies in the affected individual's bloodstream. Symptoms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis usually occur somewhere between four and eight hours after exposure to the particular sensitized antigen. An individual affected by this type of inflammation can experience symptoms that also commonly occur in berylliosis patients, which include fever, breathlessness, persistent cough, and fatigue.

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