Three’s Company: Coexistence of Silicosis, Scleroderma, and Sjogren Syndrome in a Single Patient
Three’s Company: Coexistence of Silicosis, Scleroderma, and Sjogren Syndrome in a Single Patient
We describe a patient who presented with silicosis, scleroderma, and Sjogren syndrome all at the same time. The diagnoses in this case are all associated with continuous exposure to crystalline silica at the patient’s workplace. The following report discusses this unique presentation.
We describe a patient who presented with silicosis, scleroderma, and Sjogren syndrome all at the same time. The diagnoses in this case are all associated with continuous exposure to crystalline silica at the patient’s workplace.
Over the past few years, environmental factors have been found to play a complementary and significant role in the initiation and propagation of different autoimmune diseases and can be linked to up to 70% of all autoimmune diseases.
Exposure to crystalline silica has also been found to be associated with the development of various autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-related vasculitis.