Consideration of Occupational Lung Disease and Pneumoconiosis in Forensic Pathology

Abstract

Reports of workers stricken with lung disease sustained during the course of their employment date to antiquity. Despite stringent regulations to mitigate all manners of work place hazards, and the emergence of agencies and physicians engaged in the advancement of occupational health, occupational lung disease remains a significant problem within modern society. Inhalation of dusts and fumes sustained in the course of one's occupation may lead to significant morbidity and mortality, and lead to a huge cost to society in terms of lost productivity, medical care for the worker, and litigation. In certain circumstances, the identification of an underlying occupational lung disease may constitute a significant finding in medicolegal death investigation. This article will present an overview of common occupational diseases likely to be encountered in the practice of forensic pathology, based on the particular etiologic agent and occupational means of exposure.