Pneumoconiosis other diagnostic studies

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Dushka Riaz, MD

Pulmonary function tests, bronchoscopy, and lung biopsies may be helpful in the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis.

Other diagnostic studies for pneumoconiosis include: ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

• Pulmonary function tests (PFT), which demonstrates:
  • Decreased FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio
  • Decreased DLCO
  • Decreased compliance
• Bronchoalveolar lavage:
  • Can be used to study cytology and exclude other pathologies
  • Asbestos bodies can be identified to diagnose asbestosis
  • Can be used to diagnose berylliosis with a beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test
• Lung biopsy can be used to confirm the pneumoconiosis
  • Noncaseating granulomas can be seen in berylliosis

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