Usefulness of Thoracic Ultrasound with an Image Processing Method in The Diagnosis of Silicosis Disease

Abstract

Aim: The diagnosis of Silicosis Disease is based on regular follow-up, including physical examination, anamnesis and imaging methods, chest radiography and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) which are the main imaging modalities shaped by universal guidelines. Due to its advantages such as rapid results, non-invasiveness, less cost of the procedure and radiation safety, thoracic ultrasound is an imaging method that can be utilized in the diagnosis of lung consolidation and alveolar-interstitial diseases and is preferred progressively. The thoracic ultrasound may accelerate the diagnostic process, with unbiased measurements, and contribute to control the disease progression by providing early diagnosis for patients with silicosis. Material and Methods: We enrolled 34 patients with silicosis who had 1/0 or more involvement in chest radiography according to the ILO Pneumoconiosis reading score and age-matched 16 healthy volunteers. Then, pleural thickness, diaphragmatic thickness, pleural plaque, B line evaluated by thoracic ultrasound and the number of hyperechoic nodules that obtained from image processing by ImageJ Software. Results: There were no B lines in any study groups. Moreover, the pleural and diaphragmatic thicknesses and were not different between groups. Conclusion: It was not accomplished to convert nodular structures in the thorax ultrasound into visible graphics by the image processing method, apart from a few exceptional cases.