Chronic beryllium disease on xray appears as non specific interstitial lung disease patterns and it often resembles sarcoidosis, and also has potential findings of nodules, ground glass opacities, hilar lymphadenopathy and even linear scars in later stages of the chronic beryllium disease.
Early on, the chest X-ray might appear normal, and even with high resolution chest CT being more sensitive, the imaging results can still appear normal in some people.
Common radiographic findings include small, diffuse opacities which can appear as tiny, scattered dots throughout your lungs, reticular pattern which is a network or net like pattern on the X-ray, Hilar adenopathy which is enlargement of your lymph nodes that are located in the center of your chest, "the hilum", ground glass opacities which are areas where your lung tissue looks cloudy or hazy, which indicates inflammation, linear scars or fibrosis which are linear areas of scarring in your lung tissue and even lung distortion or bullae which is when more severe changes can occur with extensive chronic beryllium disease.
CBD or chronic beryllium disease is a systemic disorder, although it can also involve your lymph nodes, your skin, your spleen, your liver, your kidneys and your heart, although your lungs are the main target organs of chronic beryllium disease.
Chronic beryllium disease in the lungs is a long term lung disease which is caused by the inhalation of beryllium dust or fumes.
Chronic beryllium disease also called CBD disease is a reaction of your immune system to beryllium, which leads to inflammation and scarring or fibrosis in your lungs.
Symptoms of chronic beryllium disease can appear within months after exposure or even years after exposure to the beryllium.
Symptoms of chronic beryllium disease include weight loss and fever, fatigue, shortness of breath and a cough that is persistent.
Treatment for chronic beryllium disease includes the use of corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and oxygen therapy to help improve your breathing, although irreversible lung damage can still occur.
In CBD or chronic beryllium disease, when a person inhales beryllium particles, the person's immune system can become sensitized.
The sensitization then leads to the formation of granulomas, which are clumps of inflammatory cells in your lungs.
The granulomas cause chronic inflammation and then over time, they can lead to scarring and fibrosis of the lungs which is irreversible.
This makes it difficult for your lungs to get the needed oxygen to the bloodstream.
Chronic beryllium disease mainly affects people that are exposed to beryllium in the workplace, which use the metal like in mining, manufacturing and aerospace.
Diagnosis for chronic beryllium disease involves a history of beryllium exposure, characteristic clinical findings and lab tests, such as the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test.
No cure is available for chronic beryllium disease, but treatments can help manage the symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Oxygen therapy for breathing difficulties is an option for treatment as well as corticosteroids for reducing inflammation.