This indicates that iron alone is enough to cause damage to the lungs.Symptoms usually appear after a number of years, but may rarely appear within a year.Eye exposure to iron dust can also cause another form of siderosis, "ocular siderosis" or "siderosis bulbi", which can cause eye discoloration, but also eye damage, like cataracts and night blindness. This happens via the corrosive effects of iron. Cause
Pulmonary siderosis is caused by repeated inhalation of fine iron or rust dust that happens usually over a number of years. This can happen during work consisting of welding, grinding, foundry work, paint manufacture or iron ore mining among other similar occupations where a person is exposed to fine iron dust or fumes. Diagnosis
Pulmonary siderosis causes changes within the lungs that are clearly visible in tissue samples, x-ray images and other radiological studies. In a tissue sample from alveoli patchy deposits of iron can be seen throughout the sample. Treatment
There is no cure for pulmonary siderosis or other interstitial lung diseases. Any damage is thus permanent. Symptoms can be treated. Prognosis
Outcome of pulmonary siderosis is often good if the inhalation of iron or rust dust is permanently avoided. However, welding has been associated with lung cancer, a condition which may have a poor outcome. Still, it is not known if pulmonary siderosis causes cancer in welders specifically or if these cases of cancer appear due to entirely different factors.
Alopecia totalis is the loss of all hair on the head and face. Its causes are unclear, but believed to be autoimmune. Research suggests there may be a genetic component linked to developing alopecia totalis; the presence of DRB1*0401 and DQB1*0301, both of which are Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA), were found to be associated with long-standing alopecia totalis. Treatment
Methotrexate and corticosteroids are proposed treatments.Scalp cooling has specifically been used to prevent alopecia in docetaxel chemotherapy, although it has been found prophylactic in other regimens as well. Treatment effects may take time to resolve, with one study showing breast cancer survivors wearing wigs up to 2 years after chemotherapy. See also
Alopecia areata
Alopecia universalis

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