Lung changes in woodworkers.

Pathological changes were observed in the lungs of two workers who had been exposed to wood dust for many years. The cause of death in each case was unrelated to the lung condition. The histopathological changes in the lung were: (1) centrilobular fibrosis and emphysema, (2) the presence of intra-alveolar basophilic particles which had excited a histiocytic and foreign body reaction. Special studies of these bodies tended to confirm the suspicion that they were particles of wood dust. Studies have shown that woodworkers are in an environment heavily saturated with wood dust. The present study suggests that the wood dust is inhaled into the alveoli and may lead to changes in the lungs.