This chest X-ray shows coal workers pneumoconiosis - stage II. There are diffuse, small (2 to 4 mm each), light areas throughout both lungs. In the right upper lung (seen on the left side of the picture), there is a light area (measuring approximately 2 cm by 4 cm) with poorly defined borders, representing coalescence (merging together) of previously distinct light areas. Diseases which may explain these X-ray findings include simple coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP) - stage II, silico-tuberculosis, disseminated tuberculosis, metastatic lung cancer, and other diffuse infiltrative pulmonary diseases.
Review Date: 1/18/2008
Reviewed By: Andrew Schriber, MD, FCCP, Specialist in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Virtua Memorial Hospital, Mount Holly, New Jersey. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.