What is chronic beryllium disease CBD?
Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a lung condition that can develop after a person breathes beryllium dust or fumes. The immune system sees beryllium as a “foreign invader,” and builds an “army” of cells in the bloodstream that are prepared to react to beryllium wherever they see it in the body. When an individual is diagnosed with CBD, it generally means the battle between the immune system and the beryllium particles has resulted in scarring (called granulomas) in the lungs.
