Chest X-Rays May Not Be Enough for Silicosis Diagnosis, Study Warns

A new report suggests that doctors should use high-resolution CT scans in place of chest x-rays when diagnosing silicosis, to avoid delaying treatment for the life-threatening lung disease, which is most often detected among individuals who worked in industries that involve cutting quartz countertops or other materials that contain silica.

Silicosis is an irreversible and often deadly respiratory condition, which is only known to be caused by breathing in silica dust. The disease starts with lung inflammation and scarring, but can eventually progress to lung failure, which carries a high risk of death.

Although there is no cure for silicosis, there are potential treatments that can help prolong patients’ lives. In addition, once silicosis is diagnosed, it is critical for individuals to avoid further inhalation of silica and other irritants, which may worsen their condition.

However, prior research has suggested  that many individuals with silicosis are first misdiagnosed with pneumonia or tuberculosis, allowing the disease to progress to advanced stages before treatments begin.

Silicosis Diagnosis Aided by High-Resolution CT Scans

In a new study published this month in the medical journal Thorax, researchers from Imperial College London in the U.K. warn that chest x-rays alone are not the most accurate method for diagnosing silicosis. Instead, medical professionals should employ high-resolution CT scans to help diagnose silicosis before it progresses to a fatal stage, according to the researchers.

High-resolution CT scans are a type of computed tomography (CT) scan that can produce a detailed image of the inside of the lungs. They are often used to diagnose various different lung diseases, but many doctors initially rely on standard chest x-rays, even when examining individuals who may be at the greatest risk of developing silicosis, after years of cutting quartz countertops, mining, glass manufacturing or working in other industries that may have exposed them to silica dust.

In this new study, a team of researchers led by A. Durairaj used a statistical model to examine different medical databases with a view toward calculating the number of silicosis cases that might have been missed by only using a chest x-ray for diagnosis.

Researchers determined that chest x-rays fail to detect a great number of cases where silicosis could have been diagnosed, and that this could be avoided with the use of high-resolution CT mapping for the interior of the lungs.

Silicosis Lawsuits Are Being Filed

The findings come as a growing number of silicosis lawsuits are now being filed by individuals diagnosed with the lung condition after years of working with quartz countertops, alleging that manufacturers and distributors of the artificial stone products have failed to provide critical warnings about the long-term health risks that may result from breathing silica dust, and steps that could have been taken to avoid a silicosis diagnosis.

The litigation has emerged as more information has been learned about the significant silicosis risks faced by countertop workers, following years of cutting, grinding, drilling and installing quartz or other “engineered” stone products.

The dangers posed by silica dust have been described as “the new asbestos,” referring to the toxic fiber linked to the development of mesothelioma, which was banned decades ago.

In recent decades, artificial stone countertops have become increasingly popular, containing a mixture of naturally occurring quartz and silica dust, which stonemasons and other workers often wind up inhaling through the process of cutting the stone to fabricate it for kitchen and bathroom countertops.

The lawsuits brought by individuals diagnosed with silicosis allege that artificial stone distributors and manufacturers could have taken steps to warn about the risks associated with inhaling silica dust, but placed a desire for profits before the health and safety of workers installing their products.

In some cases that have gone to trial in recent years, stone cutters and fabricators have been awarded large silicosis lawsuit payouts by juries, such as a $52.4 million awarded in August 2024.

While many families are just now learning about the risks associated with artificial stone countertops, the lawsuits allege that manufacturers knew or should have known about the problems for decades, but withheld critical warnings and instructions that could have made working with the quartz countertops safer.