Occupational lung disease x ray

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hadeel Maksoud M.D.[2]

Overview[edit | edit source]

A chest x-ray is the cornerstone of diagnosis in occupational lung disease. Findings on an x-ray suggestive of occupational lung disease include pleural thickening, pleural plaques, pleural abnormalities, calcification, small or large opacities, costophrenic angle obliteration, atelectasis, pneumothorax, parenchymal bands, enlarged hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes, bullae, and granulomata.

X Ray[edit | edit source]

• A chest x-ray is the cornerstone of diagnosis in occupational lung disease. Findings on an x-ray suggestive of occupational lung disease include:^[1]
  • Pleural thickening
  • Pleural plaques
  • Pleural abnormalities
  • Calcification
  • Small or large opacities
  • Costophrenic angle obliteration
  • Atelectasis
  • Pneumothorax
  • Parenchymal bands
  • Enlarged hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes
  • Bullae
  • Granulomata

• An x-ray may be helpful in the diagnosis of complications of occupational lung disease, which include:
  • Pulmonary edema
  • Pneumothorax
  • Pleural effusion

X-ray findings for specific etiologies[edit | edit source]

X-ray findings depending on specific etiologies of occupational lung disease include:^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

Silicosis and Talcosis[edit | edit source]

• Multiple, small rounded opacities
• Predilection to dorsal aspect of upper lobe
• Diffuse ground glass opacities
• Punctuate calcification in lymph nodes

Coal worker's pneumoconiosis[edit | edit source]

• Small, irregular opacities coalesce to indicate progressive massive fibrosis

Asbestosis[edit | edit source]

• Predilection to lower lobes
• Diaphragmatic plaques are pathognomonic
• Fine and coarse linear, peripheral, reticular opacities

Berylliosis[edit | edit source]

• Multiple, rounded opacities with or without calcification
• Architectural distortion
• Loss of lung tissue volume
• Shadows
• Upper lobe predominance
• Chronic berylliosis shows emphysema with bulla formation

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis[edit | edit source]

• Starts at the lower lobes and moves progressively upwards
• Reticular opacities with honeycombing

Vineyard sprayer's lung[edit | edit source]

• Nodular opacities
• Lobar consolidation
• Upper lobe scarring
• Conglomerate shadows
• Lung destruction

Hard metal pneumoconiosis[edit | edit source]

• Small nodules
• Reticular opacities
• Small cystic spaces
• Basal predominance

References[edit | edit source]