Sarcoidosis in Northern Ontario Hard-rock Miners: A Case Series

First published: 14 February 2022 External Source:  American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Volume 65, Issue 4, April 2022, Pages 268-280 Abstract: Sarcoidosis is a rare multisystem granulomatous disease traditionally considered to be of unknown etiology. The notion that sarcoidosis has no known cause is called into question with the increasing number of case reports and epidemiologic studies showing associations between occupational exposures and disease published in the past 10–20 years. Occupational exposures for which associations are strongest and most consistent are silica and other inorganic dusts, World Trade Center (WTC) dust, and metals. Occupations identified as at-risk for sarcoidosis include construction workers; iron-foundry and diatomaceous earth workers; WTC emergency responders; and metal workers. We report here 12 cases of sarcoidosis in a cohort of hard-rock miners in Northern Ontario, Canada. To our knowledge sarcoidosis has not been reported previously in hard-rock miners. By: L. Christine Oliver MD, MPH, MS; Paul Sampara MEng, ROH; Donna Pearson RN, DOHN; Janice Martell BA ; Andrew M. Zarnke BS   View Paper