Caplan syndrome is RA with pneumoconiosis; which occupation is at risk?

• A. Office workers
• B. Coal miners
• C. Nurses
• D. Teachers

Answer: (B)

Caplan syndrome happens when rheumatoid arthritis coexists with pneumoconiosis from inhaled dust, most classically coal dust. The key concept is that exposure to coal dust in coal miners can trigger pneumoconiosis, and in someone with RA this combination leads to the formation of multiple well-defined lung nodules (Caplan nodules). That’s why this occupation is at risk—coal dust exposure creates the pneumoconiosis component that pairs with RA to produce Caplan syndrome.

In practical terms, coal miners are the classic at-risk group because the coal dust drives the pneumoconiosis that interacts with RA to form these nodules, typically seen on chest imaging and potentially associated with cough or dyspnea. Other listed occupations involve far less exposure to coal dust, so they don’t carry the same risk for this specific syndrome.