Caplans syndrome historical perspective

In 1953, the chest x ray findings of multiple pulmonary nodules, in the coal miners with Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) of Welsh, was described by Caplan. In 13 coal miners with RA, along with the small silicotic nodules, well-defined, larger lung nodules were found. Caplan identified that miners with pulmonary nodules on chest x-ray eventually developed arthritis though they have not diagnosed cases of RA. Though Caplan’s initial idea was of infectious etiology, two years later several cases of ‘ rheumatoid pneumoconiosis‘ with tuberculosis were reported. But the theory of rheumatoid pneumoconiosis and tuberculous pneumoconiosis got rejected by time. Caplan’s syndrome concept was expanded to cover the exposure to all inorganic dust from different sources. In 1940 and 1950, rheumatoid nodules were identified by several authors in autopsy studies of different organs as heart and lungs. But the relation to silica exposure was not discussed. Years later after Caplan’s publication, multiple cases with pulmonary nodules in miners with RA were reported. But 20 cases with lung nodules were reported without any dust exposure.

• Caplan Syndrome was first discovered by Dr. Anthony Caplan, a British physician, in 1953.
• In 1955, theory of tuberculous rheumatism and tuberculous pneumoconiosis were developed which got abandoned later.
• In 1940 and 1955, rheumatoid nodules were described in autopsy study of heart and lungs.
• In 1948, Ellman and Ball reported the pulmonary nodules found in coal miners were prevalent only in men with dust exposures and not related to ordinary silicosis or rheumatoid arthritis.
• An epidemiological study was conducted by Miall and associates in 1955 to determine the validity of Caplan syndrome.
• In 1958, J. Gough described the histological criterias to diagnose Caplan syndrome.^{[1] [2] [3]}

• Caplan’s syndrome was originally described in coal miners with progressive massive fibrosis by Caplan in 1953.^[2]

• In 1955, the first epidemiological study was conducted to validate the criteria of Caplan syndrome.
• J. Gough reported the histological diagnostic findings for Caplan Syndrome in 1958.