FATAL ACUTE SILICOSIS AFTER VOLUNTARY INH ALATION OF SCOURING POWDER

We report a case of acute fatal fibrosing silico-proteinosis occurring in nine months in a young woman who had voluntarily inhaled scouring powder. We recall the reports in the literature of the subacute or chr onic forms associated with systemic diseases occurring after such inha lational practices. We recall the need for specific questioning and to complete the study, the need for microscopy and electron-microscopy a ssociated with X-ray defraction, either on the alveolar lavage fluid o r on a lung biopsy.