Nazir Shah, Mohammad Yaqoob.
Coal worker Pneumoconiosis: an experience with 58 cases of coalmine workers in the southern districts of NWFP.
J Postgrad Med Inst Jan ;19(1):36-40.

Objective: Clinical and radiological evaluation of coal worker pneumoconiosis (CWP). Material and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in District Headquarter Hospital Karak from February 2002 to October 2002. Fifty Eight cases of coalmine workers who showed evidence of pneumoconiosis, were collected from the hospital OPD. Some individuals presented as patients while some were their attendants who showed radiological changes of coal worker pneumoconiosis (CWP). History, clinical examination and past investigations were collected. They were also investigated in the hospital with X-ray chest, sputum examination and blood cytology with ESR. Results: Seven (12%) workers were found to be asymptomatic with X-ray chest findings of simple coal worker pneumoconiosis (CWP). Their average duration of work was 10.5 years ranging from 2 to 20 years. Forty (69%) workers were symptomatic of cough and breathlessness with X-ray chest findings of simple CWP. Eleven (19%) workers were having complicated coal worker pneumoconiosis or progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). All were symptomatic of productive cough, black sputum and breathlessness. All were past workers with their average duration of work of 25 years ranging from 18 to 35 years. Their average time to leave the work was 10 years. Smokers showed 40% prevalence of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) versus 14.5% in nonsmokers. Seven (12%) patients used antituberculous drugs without clinical and radiological improvement. Out of 33 past workers 8(13.7%) left the work because of CWP. Conclusions: Patients with simple CWP may remain asymptomatic for long time and so remain able to perform mine work while the patients with PMF are mostly symptomatic and are not able for work in the mine. CWP may closely resemble tuberculosis so occupational history is important in suspected cases. This study found no signs of reversibility in CWP after leaving the work, rather showed progression in the cases of PMF.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com