Pathologic Spectrum and Lung Dust Burden in Giant Cell Interstitial Pneumonia (Hard Metal Disease/Cobalt Pneumonitis): Review of 100 Cases

Hard metal disease (HMD), the interstitial lung disease caused by dusts in the cemented tungsten carbide (WC) industry, has been attributed to cobalt. The rare histologic pattern of giant cell interstitial pneumonia (GIP) is characteristic in HMD. The authors reviewed the history of HMD and 100 cases of HMD that they have seen over 5 decades. GIP was proven in 59; analysis of the lung inorganic particle burden by scanning electron microscopy …