IntroductionPneumoconiosis is a parenchymal lung disease caused by inhaling various mineral dust, causing parenchymal lung reactions, resulting in fibrotic or non-fibrotic parenchymal lesions (1). Despite a decline in its incidence rate since 1990; global pneumoconiosis cases have increased globally, from 36,186 in 1990 to 60,555 in 2017. The irreversibility of lung damage and its debilitating nature have made it one of the most important occupational diseases (2). In China alone, pneumoconiosis accounted for 90% of occupational diseases in 2018 (3). Common types of pneumoconiosis include asbestosis, silicosis, and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP)(2).CWP develops due to prolonged exposure to coal dust, leading to varied clinical presentations. On one side, patients have near-normal lung function with few symptoms and no change in mortality rate, diagnosed as simple CWP, also known as anthracosis. On the other side, patients experience reduced lung function, symptoms such as dyspnea and chronic cough, and a higher risk of mortality rate, diagnosed as complicated CWP, also known as progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) (4). CWP can manifest as mediastinal lymphadenopathy, fibrosis, nodules, consolidation, or masses requiring differentiation from other malignancies or treatable conditions like tuberculosis (5).Here, we report a case of CWP in a 75-year-old female with a history of cured breast cancer cancer posing a diagnostic challenge due to its presentation as a left upper lobe lung mass resembling lung cancer.
