T. Kraus et al., EVALUATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF HIGH-RESOLUTION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHICFINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH PNEUMOCONIOSIS, International archives of occupational and environmental health, 68(4), 1996, pp. 249-254
The standard ILO classification for pneumoconiotic changes using conve
ntional X-ray films has become well established. In recent years compu
ted tomography has played an increasing role in occupational medicine
and above all in the assessment of pneumoconiosis. Therefore a standar
dised method of classification for CT also seems necessary. A system o
f classification developed by occupational hygienists and radiologists
allows a detailed description of parenchymal and pleural changes and
the use of 28 additional symbols. Furthermore, special diagnoses relev
ant to occupational medicine and additional comments can be made. The
classification system was tested in practice in the research project '
'Early diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases'' (Fruhdiagnostik asbest
verusachter Erkrankungen). It was shown to be both practicable and eas
ily reproducible, intra-individually and interindividually.