Total volume of progressive massive fibrosis and pulmonary function of pneumoconiosis patients at stage Ⅲ

Objective The volume of progressive massive fibrosis(V_PMF) and lung function of pneumoconiosis patients at stage Ⅲ were observed and their correlation was evaluated.

Methods A total of 52 pneumoconiosis patients at stage Ⅲ complicated with PMF were observed during January to September, 2016. The patients' lung function was measured and the V_PMF was calculated based on the results of CT examination. Then the correlation between these two indicators was analyzed.

Results The main features of lung dysfunction of these 52 patients was mixed pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. The V_PMF of the patients varied from 5.63 to 258.8 cm³, and it was negatively correlated with FEV₁/Pre, FVC/Pre, and CO diffusion/Pre (r_s=-0.74, -0.65, -0.72, P < 0.05, respectively). The corresponding linear regression equations were FEV₁/Pre=0.87-0.003×V_PMF(R²=0.58, F=68.6, P < 0.01), FVC/Pre=0.91-0.002×V_PMF (R²=0.45, F=41.6, P < 0.01), and CO dispersion/Pre=0.94-0.002×V_PMF (R²=0.53, F=56.8, P < 0.01), respectively.

Conclusion We can estimate FEV₁/Pre, FVC/Pre and CO diffusion/Pre based on the total volume of progressive massive fibrosis.