[Tuberculosis: current epidemiological-clinical problems].

Tuberculosis (tb) mortality, morbidity and infection prevalence were very high in Belgium and in the other industrialised countries during the previous century, and the first half of this century. Therefore tb was an "export" pathology, especially towards developing countries. At the end of this century tb-epidemiological indices reached very low levels in the Western world, while tb became endemic in several non-Western countries and so it actually has become an "import" pathology.

[The cobalt lung in diamond cutters: a new disease].

Although for forty years already broncho-pulmonary pathology has been described in workers exposed to hard-metal (i.e. alloys of tungsten carbide and cobalt) and although cobalt is considered the offending agent of this hazard, these abnormalities have almost not been found after exposure to cobalt alone except in animal experiments.

The inherited association of interstitial lung disease, hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, and defective granulocyte function.

The history and pulmonary histopathology of 3 siblings, presenting with the association of idiopathic interstitial lung disease, hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, and an intrinsic defect in granulocyte function are described. Prospective examination of 40 family members indicated that the 3 abnormalities are inherited according to an autosomal dominant pattern with, however, a variable penetration. Lung biopsies in the index cases revealed an interstitial infiltration of inflammatory cells and aggregates of conchoid bodies surrounded by multinucleated giant cells.

Cobalt lung in diamond polishers.

Five diamond polishers with interstitial lung disease attributed to cobalt not alloyed to carbides of hard metals are described. The exposure originated from high-speed grinding tools with a polishing surface of microdiamonds cemented in very fine cobalt. Mineralogic analysis of lung tissue, lavage fluid, filtered air, and exhaust dust in the work environment revealed cobalt as the only toxic agent.

Cervical mediastinoscopy and anterior mediastinotomy in patients with lung cancer and radiologically normal mediastinum.

In the period 1975-1980, 1504 patients presented with lung cancer, 291 were presumably operable, and had no radiological evidence of mediastinal lymph node invasion. Two thirds (192 patients) underwent pre-operative surgical mediastinal exploration, and one third (99 patients) were operated right away. Of the 162 cervical mediastinoscopies, 16% had lymph node invasion (19.

Rifampim-combined chemotherapy in coal worker's pneumoconio-tuberculosis.

Results of a retrospective study of rifampin-combined chemotherapy in 59 coal miners with pneumoconio-tuberculosis are reported. In 43 patients pneumoconiosis had attained the stage of progressive massive fibrosis. The follow-up period ranged from 24 to 78 months, except in 8 patients who died before the twenty-fourth month.