An unusual
cause of difficult asthma: talc granulomatous disease
A. R. L. Medford, M. N. Sheppard, A. G. Nicholson,
D. M. Geddes and G. D. Phillips
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Dorset
County Hospital, Williams Avenue, Dorchester DT1 2JY, Dorset,
UK
Department of Histopathology, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney
Street, London SW3 6NP, UK
Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney
Street, London SW3 6NP, UK
Corresponding address: Andrew R L Medford, Clinical Research
Fellow, Currently at Lung Research Group, Department of Respiratory
Medicine, Southmead Hospital, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS10 5NB,
UK. Tel.: 44 1179595348; Fax: 44 1179595018.
E-mail: andrew.medford@bristol.ac.uk
A 44-year-old woman presented with poorly controlled asthma and nodular radiological changes. A
VATS lung biopsy confirmed talc granulomatous disease possibly related to her previous work as a
dental technician. A detailed occupational history is mandatory. Talc granulomatous disease is one
important alternative diagnosis in poorly controlled asthma.
Key words
Talc granulomatous disease; asthma; occupational history.
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