Pulmonary Talc Granulomatosis- An Uncommon Finding at Autopsy
ED05-ED07
Correspondence
Dr. Monika Yadav,
Senior Resident, Department of Pathology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi-110001, India.
E-mail: monikayadavpgims@gmail.com
Talc is a chemically hydrous magnesium silicate used as a lubricant in consumer goods and in various orally prescribed medications due to its diluting nature. Pulmonary disease resulting from occupational exposure to talc has been named talcosilicosis or talcoasbestosis. Inhalational exposure results in talcosis, whereas talc granulomatosis is found in intravenous drug abusers who inject tablets intended for oral use. Here, the authors present the case of a 25-year-old deceased male whose heart and pieces of lung, liver, and kidney were received for histopathological examination. Sections from the heart, liver, and kidney were histologically unremarkable. Microsections from the lung tissue revealed multiple non-caseating epithelioid cell granulomas with foreign body-type giant cells, mainly in the perivascular area. Under polarised light, crystalline needle-shaped foreign bodies were seen mainly in the centre of the granuloma. The final diagnosis of talc granulomatosis was given. Because pulmonary talcosis has a very low incidence, the diagnosis can be challenging. Therefore, it is essential to suspect this entity in all cases of granulomatous inflammation of the lung to prevent misdiagnosis.