Chalicosis

Chalicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing in fine stone dust, primarily affecting stonecutters. It belongs to a group of conditions known as pneumoconioses, which impact the lungs and bronchioles. The name comes from the Greek word *chálix*, meaning gravel.

People in certain jobs face a higher risk of developing chalicosis due to regular exposure to stone dust. These include millers, miners, stone cutters and masons, quarry workers, pottery and porcelain casters, tunnel workers, foundry workers, plasterers, and carpenters.

Symptoms appear slowly, often taking up to ten years after exposure to become noticeable. Patients may not feel ill until long after the damage begins. Common signs include shortness of breath (dyspnea) that worsens with activity, a chronic dry cough, and phlegm that may be gray, black, or red. Other symptoms include wheezing, loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss (emaciation), stomach soreness, and a general feeling of being unwell (malaise).

There is no cure for chalicosis, and no specific treatment targets the disease directly. Instead, care focuses on managing symptoms, related health problems, and complications, with the goal of improving the patient’s quality of life. Acute flare-ups may be treated with corticosteroids, but these are not recommended for long-term use. Chronic management options include whole lung lavage (washing out lodged particles with saline), bronchodilators to open airways, oxygen therapy for low blood oxygen, pulmonary rehabilitation to improve breathing, antifibrotic medications, and smoking cessation. In severe cases, a lung transplant—replacing one or both lungs or damaged tissue with a donor organ—may be considered as a last resort.