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.
Lung abscess can also be caused by the spread of other infections from the liver, abdominal cavity, or open chest wounds. Rarely, AIDS patients can develop lung abscess from Pneumocystis carinii and other organisms that take advantage of a weakened immune system. Lung abscess is usually slow to develop.
Progression Of The Disease. Coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or black lung, is a disease caused by inhaling coal mine dust. The advanced form, referred to as complicated, is also known as progressive massive fibrosis. The accumulation of the dust particles in the lungs causes breathing complications.