To explore the CT imaging features of artificial stone-agglomerated quartz associated silicosis.

A total of 37 cases confirmed with artificial stone-agglomerated quartz associated silicosis from December 2016 to August 2018 and 38 cases confirmed with traditional classical silicosis at the same period were retrospectively reviewed.The clinical characteristics (including gender, age and working age)and the imaging features (including the nodule features, ground glass opacity, merging features, consolidation, secondary changes, etc.) of the two groups were recorded. The variables including the imaging findings between the two groups were analyzed by Fisher exact test.

Of all the cases, there were bilateral diffuse small nodules which distributed with upper-zone predominance. Small nodules can merge together and form mass shadow. The complications such as lymphadenopathy, calcification, emphysema/pneumatocele, pulmonary interstitial fibrosis could also be found. Among the various imaging features, the presence of ground glass opacity, small nodules merging together in the subpleural zones, consolidation, pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, pneumothorax were found in 28,16,18,17,5 cases, respectively in artificial stone-agglomerated quartz associated silicosis group, and 2,4,4,4,0 cases, respectively in the traditional classical silicosis group. The percentages of these above signs were higher in the artificial stone-agglomerated quartz associated silicosis group than the traditional classical silicosis group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). The artificial stone-agglomerated quartz associated silicosis group had 3 cases with mediastinal lymph node enlargement with calcification, while the traditional classical silicosis group had 12 cases. This sign showed a lower significantly incidence in the artificial stone-agglomerated quartz associated silicosis group than the traditional classical silicosis group (P<0.01).

The characteristic changes of CT imaging features in artificial stone-agglomerated quartz associated silicosis are small nodules with the background of ground glass opacity, the nodules merging together under subpleural zones, consolidation, mediastinal lymph node enlargement with less calcification and complicated with pulmonary interstitial fibrosis and pneumothorax.

Silicon dioxide; Tomography, X-ray computed; Artificial stone-agglomerated quartz; Silicosis