[The diagnostic value and morphologic manifestation of high resolution computerized tomography in coal miner's pneumoconiosis with pleural pathological changes].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse CT and high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) diagnostic value and morphologic manifestation in coal miner's pneumoconiosis with pleural pathological changes.


METHODS
One hundred and thirty-one cases of coal miner patients with pneumoconiosis (0(+) type: 14 cases, type I: 46 cases, type II: 58 cases, type III: 13 cases) and 20 normal people as control group were first examined by routine CT scan at 4 fixed slices, followed by HRCT examination at the region of interest (ROI). Meanwhile, all of them had high-kV chest radiography.


RESULTS
According to the national standard of the People's Republic of China in the diagnosis of coal miner's pneumoconiosis with pleural plaque, 68 cases of pleural disease making up 51.91% (68/131) were found (type I accounted for 17.65%, type II 63.24%, type III 19.12%). The morphologic manifestation of pleural pathology by HRCT could be classified into four types: (1) nodular type: 73.38%, (2) flat type: 18.71%, (3) irregular type: 7.91%, (4) mixed type. The pleural pathological changes were found in thoracic wall pleura (65.02%), surface of mediastinum (22.16%), and pericardium (12.80%), but not found in the top of lung and costo-phrenic angles. The thickness of pleura was often about 5 approximately 10 mm (88.17%).


CONCLUSIONS
Pleural pathological changes were not seldom seen in coal miner's pneumoconiosis. HRCT is a reliable examination method aiding routine CT to show pleural pathological changes, thus it has a great diagnostic and practical value. It is necessary to make a further comparison study between pathology and imagology.
Liu
Pei-cheng
PC
Medical Imaging Department, Xinjiang Coal Miner General Hospital, Urumqi 830091, China.
Su
Han-xin
HX
Ai
Xue-ru
XR
Wu
Chun
C
Zhang
Dun
D
Chen
Jing-bo
JB
Patiguli
Cai
Gui-ping
GP
Awaguli
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003032:Coal Mining; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010994:Pleura / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*