TY - JOUR
T1 - Patterns of progressive massive fibrosis on modern coal miner chest radiographs
AU - Halldin, Cara N.
AU - Blackley, David J.
AU - Markle, Travis
AU - Cohen, Robert Andrew
AU - Laney, A. Scott
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of the NIOSH Coal Workers? Health Surveillance Team, the B Readers who participated in this study, and Drs. Eileen Storey, and Edward (Lee) Petsonk for their helpful reviews of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2020/4/2
Y1 - 2020/4/2
N2 - Clinical teaching generally asserts that large opacities of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) on chest radiographs present primarily bilaterally in the upper lung zones, and with an elevated background profusion of small opacities. However, the contemporary basis for these descriptions is limited. Radiographs taken for the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program during 2000–2015 and previously determined to have large opacities (“PMF radiographs”, n = 204), and a random sample previously deemed free of large opacities (n =22), were independently reevaluated by three National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) B Readers. Large opacities were noted primarily in the upper right (41%) or upper left (28%) lung zone, but 31% were in middle or lower zones. Unilateral involvement was observed in 34% of readings, with right lung predominance (82%). The median small opacity profusion category for the radiographs with PMF was 2/1. The number of large opacities was not correlated with small opacity profusion category. The “classic” descriptions of PMF as bilateral, associated with elevated background profusions of small pneumoconiotic opacities, were each absent in a third of miners.
AB - Clinical teaching generally asserts that large opacities of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) on chest radiographs present primarily bilaterally in the upper lung zones, and with an elevated background profusion of small opacities. However, the contemporary basis for these descriptions is limited. Radiographs taken for the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program during 2000–2015 and previously determined to have large opacities (“PMF radiographs”, n = 204), and a random sample previously deemed free of large opacities (n =22), were independently reevaluated by three National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) B Readers. Large opacities were noted primarily in the upper right (41%) or upper left (28%) lung zone, but 31% were in middle or lower zones. Unilateral involvement was observed in 34% of readings, with right lung predominance (82%). The median small opacity profusion category for the radiographs with PMF was 2/1. The number of large opacities was not correlated with small opacity profusion category. The “classic” descriptions of PMF as bilateral, associated with elevated background profusions of small pneumoconiotic opacities, were each absent in a third of miners.
KW - Epidemiology
KW - occupational diseases
KW - occupational lung disease
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066073951&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85066073951&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/19338244.2019.1593099
DO - 10.1080/19338244.2019.1593099
M3 - Article
C2 - 31107177
AN - SCOPUS:85066073951
VL - 75
SP - 152
EP - 158
JO - Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health
JF - Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health
SN - 1933-8244
IS - 3
ER -