| Abstract: | The International Classification of High-resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT)for Occupational and Environmental Respiratory Diseases (ICOERD) has been developed forthe screening, diagnosis, and epidemiological reporting of respiratory diseases caused byoccupational hazards. This study aimed to establish a correlation between readings of HRCT(according to the ICOERD) and those of chest radiography (CXR) pneumoconiotic parenchymalopacities (according to the International Labor Organization Classification/InternationalClassification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses [ILO/ICRP]). Forty-six patients with and28 controls without mineral dust exposure underwent posterior-anterior CXR and HRCT. Werecorded all subjects’ exposure and smoking history. Experts independently read CXRs(using ILO/ICRP). Experts independently assessed HRCT using the ICOERD parenchymalabnormalities grades for well-defined rounded opacities (RO), linear and/or irregularopacities (IR), and emphysema (EM). The correlation between the ICOERD summed grades andILO/ICRP profusions was evaluated using Spearman’s rank-order correlation. Twenty-threepatients had small opacities on CXR. HRCT showed that 21 patients had RO; 20 patients, IRopacities; and 23 patients, EM. The correlation between ILO/ICRP profusions and the ICOERDgrades was 0.844 for rounded opacities (p<0.01). ICOERDreadings from HRCT scans correlated well with previously validated ILO/ICRP criteria. TheICOERD adequately detects pneumoconiotic micronodules and can be used for theinterpretation of pneumoconiosis. |
