Imaging of occupational lung disease

Occupational lung disease comprises a wide variety of disorders caused by t he inhalation or ingestion of dust particles or noxious chemicals. These di sorders include pneumoconiosis, asbestos-related pleural and parenchymal di sease, chemical pneumonitis, occupational infection, hypersensitivity pneum onitis, and organic dust toxic syndrome. Most of these disorders produce di ffuse lung disease. Although many of the disorders can be detected at chest radiography, high-resolution computed tomography (CT) has been shown to be superior to chest radiography in depicting parenchymal, airway, and pleura l abnormalities. Some occupational lung diseases have characteristic radiol ogic features suggesting the correct diagnosis, whereas in others, a combin ation of clinical features, related occupational history, radiologic findin gs, and literature supporting an association between the exposure and the d isease process is required for diagnosis. With advances in chest radiology including high-resolution CT, radiologists play a key role in the clinical evaluation of occupational lung diseases and should continue their involvem ent in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.