Evaluation of the oblique fissure on lateral chest radiographs in coal workers pneumoconiosis

Abstract

Abstract:Objective: The oblique fi ssure separates the upper lobe from the lower lobe in the left lung and the upper lobe from the lower and middle lobes in the right lung. The aim of the present study was to compare the projection of the oblique fi ssure observed on lateral chest radiographs of retired coal mine workers who had coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) with that of healthy men. Materials and methods:The study included 120 men divided into three groups: retired coal miner patients diagnosed with CWP (group 1), men ≥38 years of age with no CWP (group 2, fi rst control group), and men ≤37 years of age with no CWP (group 3, second control group). The projection of the oblique fi ssure observed on lateral chest radiographs (left side) were evaluated using geometric morphometrics. Geometric morphometric analysis of each sample was performed using 11 pre-specifi ed landmarks designated on X-ray images, using tpsDig2 software. A text fi le containing the landmark coordinates of the 120 samples was created, and the data in the text fi le was statistically analyzed using Morpheus software. Results: The projection of the oblique fi ssure differed signifi cantly between the CWP patients and the control groups (p<0.05). Conclusion:We suggest that the difference in the projection of the oblique fi ssure between men with and without CWP was attributable to a protrusion in the fi ssure caused by nodules that developed in the lungs of coal miners after years of dust inhalation (Tab. 4, Fig. 4, Ref. 30 The International Labor Organization has defi ned pneumoconiosis as the accumulation of dust in the lungs and secondary tissue reactions to its presence (1). Larger inhaled dust particles are retained in the nose, trachea, or large bronchi by respiratory mechanisms. However, dust particles with diameters of 1-5 μm can reach the pulmonary parenchyma. As the dust load in the parenchyma increases with continued dust inhalation, particles accumulate in the alveoli (2).The oblique fi ssure separates the upper lobe from the lower lobe in the left lung and the upper lobe from the lower and middle lobes in the right lung. Lateral examination of the lungs shows that the oblique fi ssure originates at the level of the fourth thoracic vertebra posteriorly and extends forward in an oblique manner in both lungs. Because the left lung is longer than the right lung, the fi ssure extends more vertically on the left (3). The aim of the present study was to compare the projection of the oblique fi ssure on lateral chest radiographs of men who retired from coal mining following the development of coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) and that of healthy control subjects, using geometric morphometrics. Materials and methodsThe study analyzed lateral chest radiographs obtained from 120 men, who were divided into three groups: patients diagnosed with CWP while working in coal mines (group 1; n=62); men ≥38 years of age without CWP (group 2, fi rst control group; n=31); and men ≤37 years of age without CWP (group 3, second control group; n=27).La...