Diagnosis and Management of Silicotuberculosis in Resource-Limited East Africa

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 17; no. 1; p. e76961
• Main Authors: Harris, Jacob T, Ward, Kaleb, Winski, Alexandra, Elisha, Emmanuel, Lukwaro, Mlungwana G, Muterian, Zablon, Nagatomo, Kei, Wagner, Catherine, Radhakrishnan, Priya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer Nature B.V 01.01.2025; Cureus
• Subjects: Diagnostic tests; Drug resistance; Dyspnea; Hemoptysis; Immunoglobulins; Immunology; Infectious Disease; Internal Medicine; Medical diagnosis; Medical history; Microscopy; Mining; Oxygen saturation; Patients; Public Health; Silicosis; Socioeconomic factors; Tuberculosis; X-rays; East Africa; global health; silicotuberculosis and silicosis; silicotuberculosis in resource-limited areas; silicotuberculosis; silicotuberculosis treatment; silicotuberculosis in east africa; silicotuberculosis diagnosis; public health; silicotuberculosis and tuberculosis
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.76961

A 41-year-old East African man with a history of previously treated tuberculosis (TB) presented with hemoptysis, dyspnea, night sweats, and fatigue. He was treated for assumed silicotuberculosis (ST) and made a good recovery. The diagnosis of ST is challenging and requires thorough evaluation due to its overlapping clinical and radiological features with pulmonary TB and silicosis. Its diagnosis and treatment in resource-limited areas is especially complicated and nuanced. Understanding the effects of resource limitation on the diagnosis and treatment of ST can help the medical community address the medical care gap often present in these areas of the world since the region's limited access to advanced diagnostic tools and treatment options exacerbates the burden of the disease.