Summary
An epidemiological study among 203 workers of whom 119 were exposed to cotton dust and 84 controls revealed the occurence of byssinosis among 20.1% of the exposed group. Radiological examination of nasal sinuses was performed and the diagnosis was made without previous knowledge of the state of exposure of the workers or their pulmonary diagnosis. The exposed group showed a significant difference in the occurence of chronic bacterial sinusitis which also increases in prevalence by the increased duration of exposure to cotton dust. Non specific respiratory disease was significantly higher in prevalence among exposed workers (14.3%). No significant difference of allergic sinusitis was observed in the two groups although the whole population examined showed noticeably high rates of sinus diseases. Most of the air-borne cotton dust is composed of large fibers which have a greater probability of retention in the nasal and upper respiratory passages. Chronic irritation from this dust and superadded infection may explain the higher ration of chronic bacterial sinusitis and non specific respiratory disease. There was no association between byssinosis and any form of sinusitis.
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El Batawi, M.A., Effat, H., Hussein, M. et al. Cotton dust inhalation and upper respiratory tract disease. Int. Arch. Gewerbepath. Gewerbehyg. 20, 443–448 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389863
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389863