In:
Journal of Occupational Health, Wiley, Vol. 51, No. 3 ( 2009-05), p. 210-222
Abstract:
Reliability of the Proposed International Classification of High‐Resolution Computed Tomography for Occupational and Environmental Respiratory Diseases: Narufumi S uganuma , et al . Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School Purpose We have developed a classification of high‐resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images for screening, surveillance and epidemiological studies of respiratory diseases caused by occupational and environmental factors. The proposed classification consists of three parts: a guideline explaining the elements of the classification scheme, a reading sheet, and reference films to aid in assessing thin‐section CT films. We assessed the reliability of the proposed classification system by blinded, independent trial reading. Materials and Methods Seven independent radiologists and pulmonologists performed a trial reading to measure the reliability of the classification system using HRCT films from 27 pneumoconiosis patients and 7 normal controls. Results The agreement was moderate to good for rounded opacities (weighted κ=0.68 and 0.64), irregular opacities (0.59, 0.48), honeycombing (0.65, 0.47), emphysema (0.76, 0.62) and large opacities (0.48, 0.52). Ground glass opacities (0.16, 0.20) showed poor to fair agreement. Intra‐reader agreement of each of the seven readers was moderate to good (mean: weighted κ=0.52–0.80) for parenchymal findings, but the agreement was relatively low (mean weighted κ=0.52) for ground glass opacities. Conclusion The proposed classification is able to describe early dust‐related fibrotic changes and provide a semi‐quantitative description of the HRCT features of major fibrotic changes in the parenchyma and pleura. Reliability, as measured by inter‐reader agreement, was satisfactory.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1341-9145
,
1348-9585
Language:
English
Publisher:
Wiley
Publication Date:
2009
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1340985-2
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2075956-3
