At an isolated weather station in the central United States, a technician emerges from a small brick shed grasping a balloon. It's not just any birthday party balloon, mind you, but a massive, white sphere more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) in diameter.
Most frequently, the lung abscess arises as a complication of aspiration pneumonia caused by mouth anaerobes. The patients who develop lung abscess are predisposed to aspiration and commonly have periodontal disease.
Pneumoconiosis is a lung condition caused by the inhalation of airborne particles that can damage lung tissue. This is mainly seen with the inhalation of dust from coal (coal workerâs pneumoconiosis), asbestos (asbestosis), silica (silicosis) and beryllium (berylliosis). It is usually due to occupational exposure.