title: Evaluation of paranasal sinus mucosa in coal worker's pneumoconiosis: a computed tomographic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate by computed tomographic scanning the paranasal mucosal changes of coal workers with and without pneumoconiosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Examination of images and scores from paranasal computed tomographic scans. The study participants were 26 coal workers with pneumoconiosis, 29 coal workers without pneumoconiosis, and 20 controls. All were men. The extent and patterns of inflammatory paranasal sinus disease were evaluated on computed tomographic scans by 2 radiologists using the terminology and definitions of Newman and associates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interobserver agreement for the presence of abnormalities was from good to excellent (kappa, 0.63-0.89). The mucosal scores of individuals and groups were higher for coal workers than for control subjects. Both scores were significantly higher in the pneumoconiosis group than in the 2 other groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that paranasal sinuses were affected more severely in coal workers than in control subjects. In coal workers with pneumoconiosis, the affection was most severe. The relationship between coal dust exposure and paranasal mucosal changes needs further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Kozlu, Zonguldak, Turkey. hozdemir37@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Remzi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Altin
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahmutyazicioğlu
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kart
authors.forename: Lokman
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Uzun
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savranlar
authors.forename: Halit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Davçanci
authors.forename: Sadi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gündoğdu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003032:Coal Mining; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D010254:Paranasal Sinus Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology