[Evaluation of pneumoconiosis by high-resolution CT]

Forty-eight patients with pneumoconiosis (47 males and 1 female) were evaluated by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), which was compared with chest radiography and pulmonary function studies. 1) HRCT was superior to chest radiography in detecting small nodular shadows. There was a good correlation between HRCT and chest radiography in evaluating nodule quantity and size. 2) HRCT was superior to chest radiography in detecting emphysematous changes, and the difference was significant. HRCT and chest radiography were closely correlated in their evaluation of the grade of emphysema. 3) The grade of emphysema on HRCT was negatively correlated with the number of nodules. Subpleural curvilinear shadow (SCLS) on HRCT was correlated with the grade of emphysema, but not with the number of nodules. 4) The comparison with pulmonary function studies showed that emphysematous change on HRCT alone was correlated with %DLCO, while SCLS was correlated with FEV1.0%, RV/TLC and %DLCO. HRCT of the lung is useful for complementing chest radiography and pulmonary function studies in the evaluation of pneumoconiosis.