Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and influencing factors of moderate-to-severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction in occupational pneumoconiosis (hereinafter referred to as "pneumoconiosis") patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods A total of 136 male pneumoconiosis patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis suffering different degrees of pulmonary ventilation dysfunction were selected as the study subjects using the judgmental sampling method. Patients were divided into mild dysfunction and moderate-to-severe dysfunction groups based on the degrees of pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. Clinical data from patients of these two groups were collected, and influencing factors of pulmonary ventilation dysfunction were analyzed. Results The prevalence of mild dysfunction and moderate-to-severe dysfunction among the study subjects was 39.0% and 61.0%, respectively. The proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction increased with the progression of pneumoconiosis (P<0.05). Patients in moderate-to-severe dysfunction group had higher rates of dyspnea, elevated C-reactive protein, coexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and a history of lung infections within the past two years compared with those in the mild dysfunction group (all P<0.05). The result of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of pneumoconiosis, complicated with COPD, and a history of lung infections within the past two years were risk factors for moderate-to-severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction (all P<0.05). Specifically, higher degree of pneumoconiosis was associated with a greater proportion of moderate-to-severe dysfunction, and patients complicated with COPD or had a history of lung infections within the past two years were more likely to experience severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. Conclusion The degree of pneumoconiosis, complicated with COPD, and a history of lung infections within the past two years are influencing factors of moderate-to-severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction in patients with pneumoconiosis combined with pulmonary tuberculosis. Early detection of pneumoconiosis progression, timely diagnosis of COPD and lung infections, and appropriate treatment such as antifibrotic agents, inhaled bronchodilators, and anti-infective therapies are recommended.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of chest imaging and prognosis in pneumoconiosis patients in tin smelting workers. METHODS: Ten pneumoconiosis patients working with tin smelting were examined by chest X-ray,computed tomography( CT) photography and dynamic observation on pulmonary imaging to analyze their characteristics and prognosis. RESULTS: There were mild clinical manifestations and no tuberculosis in these 10 cases of tin smelting pneumoconiosis patients. There was no obvious change on the pulmonary ventilation function change. The high k V X-ray chest observation results showed that the circular shadow was the primary small shadow of the two lungs,that were mostly distributed in the medium and upper lung zones of both lungs. In most cases,we found lung texture distortion,deformation or increase,blurred,hilar shadow increased thickening,lymph node calcification,individualized eggshell. There was no pleural changes and emphysema changes. There was no significant change found in 5-10 years of dynamic observation except for 1 case of increased small shadow. The chest CT examination in 2011 showed 2-5 mm nodular shadows. Among them,we found 7 cases of small nodules from the upper lobe evenly distributed to the middle of the lobe,the lower back lobe of the lungs,lower basal ganglia lesions decreased,lesions were diffuse distribution of the whole lung,and the small nodules in 3 cases. Interval lobular thickening at varying degrees were found in 5 cases,lobular central or apoptotic pulmonary emphysema were found in 4 cases,and 1 case of pulmonary bullae formation was found. The results of chest CT examination in 2016 showed 2 cases of diffuse pulmonary nodules,3 cases of thickening of lobular septum and 2 cases of pulmonary emphysema compared with the CT result in 2011. CONCLUSION: There was no obvious lung small shadow absorption found in tin smelting pneumoconiosis patients after 5 to 10 years of X-ray dynamic observation,and progress of lesions could be seen. CT examination is helpful for follow-up observation in tin smelting pneumoconiosis.