Bronchoobstructive syndrome in occupational lung diseases

Abstract

In order to improve the diagnosis of bronchoobstructive syndrome (BOS) an analysis of data of X-ray and computed tomography examinations and the complete respiratory function testing of 30 pneumoconiosis (PC) patients and 27 occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients was performed depending on the dust type. The comparison of X-ray and computed tomography examination results was carried out to diagnose the pulmonary emphysema. Differences in the BOS manifestation in dependence on the dust type were revealed. Obstructive disorders were noted more often in welders’ PC than in silicosis patients. The functional disorders in silicosis depended on the irregular emphysema appearance. The BOS in COPD patients exposed to highly fibrogenic dust and in welders was characterized by general obstructive disorders, while in COPD caused by polimetallic dust the obstructive disorders were noted in the peripheral airways and were accompanied by the marked functional signs of the pulmonary emphysema.