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Byline: Erkan. Akar, Tekin. Yildiz, Safak. Atahan OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to report our patients with pulmonary siderosis (PS) who were exposed to iron oxide and [...]

Aim: To determine the frequency of the development of anxiety and depression in asthma patients who attended an outpatient clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic, whether these rates were higher than those of the healthy population, and whether there is a possible relationship between asthma control levels, anxiety, and depression. Method: A total of 112 patients with asthma and 81controls, whose mean ages and genders were matched, were included in the study. Demographic data of the two groups and general information about their asthmatic conditions were recorded. Asthma control tests (ACTs) were performed to determine the level of asthma control. The Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were administered to the asthma patients and controls. The groups were compared in terms of their Beck depression and anxiety scores and asthma control. We investigated whether there is a relationship between asthma control level and anxiety and depression scores. Results: Of the asthma patients, 78.6% were found to have anxiety, and 48.2% reported depression, while 32.1% anxiety and 12.3% depression were found in the control group. Depression and anxiety scores were significantly higher in asthma patients than in the control group. It was observed that 59% of the patients had very poorly controlled asthma, and as the ACT levels of the patients worsened, depression and anxiety scores increased. Conclusions: To reduce the frequency of anxiety and depression in asthma patients, it is essential to provide accurate information about COVID-19 and to effectively control asthma. Therefore, asthma patients should be informed about COVID-19 and advised to engage in regular outpatient examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Denim sandblasting is as a novel cause of silicosis in Turkey, with reports of a recent increase in cases and fatal outcomes. We aimed to describe the radiological features of patients exposed to silica during denim sandblasting and define factors related to the development of silicosis. Methods Sixty consecutive men with a history of exposure to silica during denim sandblasting were recruited. All CT examinations were performed using a 64-row multi-detector CT (MDCT). The nodules were qualitatively and semi-quantitatively analyzed by grading nodular profusion (NP) on CT images. Results Silicosis was diagnosed radiologically in 73.3% of patients (44 of 60). The latency period (the time between initial exposure and radiological imaging) and duration of silica exposure was longer in patients diagnosed with silicosis than in those without silicosis (p < 0.05). Nodules were present in all cases with centrilobular type as the commonest (63.6%). All cases of silicosis were clinically classified as accelerated and 11.4% had progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Mild NP lesions were the most prevalent in all six zones of the lung. The NP score was significantly correlated with the duration of silica exposure, the latency period, presence of PMF, and pleural thickening. Enlarged lymphadenopathy was present in 45.5% of patients. Conclusions The duration of exposure and the latency period are important for development of silicosis in denim sandblasters. MDCT is a useful tool in detecting findings of silicosis in workers who has silica exposure.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the lung health between professional bus drivers and white collar workers in metropolis municipality from Turkey.Material and Methods: Out of 126 bus drivers and 1100 office employees, data were analyzed from 243 indoor employees and 57 bus drivers. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, forced expiratory flow (FEF) 25-75% were measured, some data were collected with a questionnaire (work and environmental anamnesis, symptoms, smoking).Results: The mean (±SD) values for FVC, FVC percent predicted value, FEV1, FEV1 percent predicted value, FEV1/FVC were 4.33 ± 0.99L, 96.5 ± 18.2%, 3.31 ± 0.87L, 84.5 ± 18.2%, 76.30 ± 9.23%, respectively. Sixty-six participants (22%) had FEV1/FVC proportions of less than 70%. After weighing for the propensity scores, there was a significant difference between bus drivers and indoor workers concerning FEV1/FVC grouping; while 65 (26.1%) indoor workers had FEV1/FVC proportions less than 70%, there were only two (3.9%) bus drivers (Chi-Square = 12.009, p = .001). The mean spirometry values were significantly different between the two groups in favor of the bus drivers (p < .05). Night cough was much more seen in the indoor workers (Chi-Square test = 9.019, p = .003).Conclusion: We conclude that there are no health risks associated with bus driving in a metropolitan city, concerning lung functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effect of kinesiotaping (KT) on the respiratory parameters as measured by spirometry and depression in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.Methods: In this prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind study 42 male patients with COPD diagnosis were randomized into two groups. In Group1 (n = 21) routine COPD medical treatment plus kinesiotaping and in Group2 (n = 21) only routine COPD medical treatment was given. KT was changed on every fifth day (for a total of three times and 15 days). The patients were assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for difficulty experienced by the patients during respiration, respiratory function test (RFT), modified medical research council (mMRC) dyspnea scale and beck depression inventory (BDI). The data were obtained before treatment and posttreatment.Results: In Group 1; statistically significant improvement was found in all parameters except for FVC and FVC % following treatment compared to pretreatment values. Comparison of the difference scores (the amount of recovery between posttreatment and pretreatment) of the two groups showed significantly superior improvement in Group1 for all parameters except for FVC, FVC % and FEV1% following the treatment (p < .05).Conclusions: The results of this study showed that supplementary kinesiotaping improved respiratory function and depression significantly compared to only routine medical treatment in COPD patients who were in stable condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The importance of the duration of respiratory events, in addition to the number, in the evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is gradually increasing. We aimed to investigate whether parameter including the number and duration of respiratory events predict cardiovascular mortality. Material and Methods: A retrospective study included 200 patients with OSA (100 severe, 50 moderate, 50 mild). Time spent during respiratory events, including the number and duration of respiratory events, was calculated for each respiratory event. Obstructive apnea time (OAT), hypopnea time (HT), total apnea time (TAT), and total respiratory event time (TRET) were obtained. The relationship between cardiovascular diseases of the patients and the time spent during respiratory events was examined. Results: There was no relationship between the cardiovascular diseases and the time spent during respiratory events in the mild, moderate and all OSA group; however, the prolonged OAT (p=0.024) and TAT (p=0.039) in the severe OSA group were associated with an increase in the cardiovascular diseases, independent of other variables. However, the relationship between apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and cardiovascular diseases in mild, moderate, severe, and all OSA was not significant. Conclusion: Using parameters including the duration of respiratory events in addition to AHI may be more useful to understand the comorbidities of OSA particularly cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and aim: Nasal mucociliary clearance time (NMCT) can be measured with the saccharine clearance test which is an inexpensive and easy method. The aim of the present study was to compare and evaluate NMCT using the saccharine clearance test in smokers and non‐smokers. Materials and methods: Eighty‐five patients whose ages ranged from 18 to 65 years were included in the study. Fifty of the patients were smokers (Group 1) while 35 were healthy, non‐smoking volunteers (Group 2). Saccharin clearance test was used to evaluate NMCT in both groups. The results obtained were compared and the statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: NMCT was statistically significantly higher in Group 1 as compared to Group 2 (P < .001, Mann‐Whitney U test). However, in cumulative smoking duration (pack‐year), Fagerström test values and gender categories, there was no statistically significant difference in the average NMCT values of the two groups (P = .943 vs P = .812 respectively), P = .45). Conclusion: Mucociliary activity, the primary defence mechanism of the respiratory epithelium, is significantly depressed in smokers. Our findings showed that the said depression is not associated with the number of cigarettes smoked, duration of smoking or nicotine dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aim: To determine the effect of passive smoking on the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among persons who spend a long time in cafes. Materials and methods: The study sample included 348 male smokers who were older than 40 years and spend a long time in cafes. The questions were derived from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) questionnaire. We also inquired about the nature of cafe visits (hours/day, visits/week, visits/month). Results: COPD was found in 18.1% (63/348 subjects) of the smokers aged ≥40 years. In these 63 subjects, based on spirometry results, the rate of mild and moderate airflow limitation was 23.8% (15/63) and 76.2% (48/63), respectively. Of the 63, 60 (95%) had no previous diagnosis of COPD. After we had accounted for known risk factors for the development of COPD, we identified new risk factors: time spent in cafes (hours/day), the number of cafe visits per week (visits/week), and the number of cafe visits per month (visits/month), which had higher odds ratios for smokers without COPD (5.376, 2.721, and 2.337, respectively). Conclusion: Spending time in cafes regularly may contribute as an additional risk factor for the development of the COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Patients in chronic renal failure suffer impaired cellular immunity and have an increased risk of tuberculosis (TB). Our aim in this multicenter study was to determine the incidence of TB and to evaluate latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in hemodialysis patients. Methods. We retrospectively evaluated the frequency of TB in 779 dialysis patients at 13 hemodialysis centers in five different cities in Southeast Turkey. The tuberculin skin test (TST) was conducted in 733 patients to detect LTBI. Results. The mean age of the patients was 51.2 ± 15.9 years; 398 (51.1%) of the patients were female, and 53.9% of patients had a BCG scar. The mean dialysis duration time was 35.1 ± 33.4 months. TB was diagnosed in 34 cases. The incidence rate of TB in patients undergoing hemodialysis was 3.1%. Ten patients had a history of TB before beginning hemodialysis, and 24 patients had a history of TB after beginning hemodialysis. A diagnosis of TB was made based on clinical data in eight patients and microbiologically or pathologically in 26 patients. The median time between the initiation of dialysis to the diagnosis of TB was 11 months. Extrapulmonary TB occurred in 45.8% of cases, and the most common site of involvement was the lymph nodes. The TST was positive in 61.8% of TB patients and in 37.5% of those with no history of TB. Conclusions. The incidence of TB is high in hemodialysis patients, and they should be evaluated periodically to exclude insidious infection and reduce morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Denim sandblasting is as a novel cause of silicosis in Turkey, with reports of a recent increase in cases and fatal outcomes. We aimed to describe the radiological features of patients exposed to silica during denim sandblasting and define factors related to the development of silicosis. Methods: Sixty consecutive men with a history of exposure to silica during denim sandblasting were recruited. All CT examinations were performed using a 64-row multi-detector CT (MDCT). The nodules were qualitatively and semiquantitatively analyzed by grading nodular profusion (NP) on CT images. Results: Silicosis was diagnosed radiologically in 73.3% of patients (44 of 60). The latency period (the time between initial exposure and radiological imaging) and duration of silica exposure was longer in patients diagnosed with silicosis than in those without silicosis (p < 0.05). Nodules were present in all cases with centrilobular type as the commonest (63.6%). All cases of silicosis were clinically classified as accelerated and 11.4% had progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Mild NP lesions were the most prevalent in all six zones of the lung. The NP score was significantly correlated with the duration of silica exposure, the latency period, presence of PMF, and pleural thickening. Enlarged lymphadenopathy was present in 45.5% of patients. Conclusions: The duration of exposure and the latency period are important for development of silicosis in denim sandblasters. MDCT is a useful tool in detecting findings of silicosis in workers who has silica exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Smoking is one of the most serious health care issues worldwide, as one third to one half of all people who smoke eventually use tobacco habitually. Chronic smoke exposure causes airway and lung parenchymal inflammation and the destruction of alveolar cell walls. Statins may have anti-inflammatory effects that would play a role in preventing the cellular damage associated with smoking. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether atorvastatin protects against smoking-induced inflammation in alveolar epithelial type I (ATI) and type II (ATII) cells in the lungs of rats. Methods: Adult male albino Wistar rats (200–250 g) were randomly divided into 3 groups and exposed to cigarette smoke 8 hours per day for 15 days. During that 15-day period, the 2 treatment groups received atorvastatin 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg/d in 2 mL of methyl cellulose solution and the control group received 2 mL of methyl cellulose solution alone, all via nasogastric catheter. After the 15 days, the lungs were excised and the tissues were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Results: Thirty rats were divided into 3 groups of 10 rats each. All rats survived the 15 days. In the atorvastatin 0.5-mg group, no changes were found in the ATI cells or in the blood-air barrier. In the atorvastatin 1.0-mg group, we observed hyperplasia in the common basal membranes. Hypertrophy, mitochondrial crystolysis (MC), and intracytoplasmic edema (ICE) were detected in the ATI cells in the 1.0-mg group, while chromatin condensation, atrophic appearance, cell shrinkage, and cyto-plasmic vacuolization were observed in the ATII cells. The rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) tubules of the ATII cells appeared spiral-shaped. In the control group, minimal ICE was detected in the ATI cells. However, microvillus deformation, pseu-dopod formation, edema, mitochondrial swelling, and MC were observed in the ATII cells. We also observed MC, several pinocytic vesicles, and normal rER tubules in the endothelial cells of the control group. Conclusions: The administration of atorvastatin 0.5 mg/kg/d was associated with some attenuation of lung injury caused by smoke inhalation in these rat lungs. However, atorvastatin 1.0 mg/kg/d was associated with lung damage. Future studies are needed to evaluate the dose-response relationship of atorvastatin to smoking-induced alveolar damage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Idiopathic pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease due to impaired alveolar macrophage function caused by neutralising anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating autoantibodies. A nineteen years old male patient was admitted with the complaints of cough, sputum production, dyspnea and fever. There were bilaterally inspiratory fine crackles. The chest radiographs showed bilateral air-space consolidation. On thorax computed tomography; pre-carinal lymph nodes enlargement, ground glass opacities, septal thickening and crazy-paving appearance were determined. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed and reported was PAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), a hereditary disease which is characterised by self limited attacks of fever and serositis, is especially common in Mediterranean region. Colchicine is the most effective drug in preventing the recurrent attacks of the disesae. Since it is a rare condition, we present a patient with FMF who had pleural involvement without radiologic findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between health literacy (HL) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) severity., Methods: Pulmonary function test, sociodemographic features, Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, COPD assessment test (CAT), and the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire were used. The study examined 13,760 patients who underwent a pulmonary function test. Out of 13,760 patients, 673 patients had FEV1/FVC values less than 70%. Those with FEV1/FVC< 0.70 ( n = 336) after the reversibility test were included in the study., Results: There was a significant decrease in HL and an increase in COPD severity ( p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the risk of severe COPD was 2.74 times higher in patients in the poor income level than in patients in the good income level. In patients with inadequate HL, the risk of developing severe COPD was 1.80 times higher. A significant difference was found in HL index scores among the groups in terms of education level and income level ( p < 0.001; p < 0.001, respectively). The most difficult topics for patients with COPD were periodic health examinations, good practices in mental health, and adult vaccinations., Conclusions: Patients with COPD were found to be at a HL level well below the expected level. The risk of severe COPD increased with poor income and inadequate HL. Healthcare providers should be careful in accessing, understanding, and interpreting the health information of patients with inadequate HL. Therefore, patient education should be prioritized in the follow-up and in the treatment of patients with COPD. Physicians should pay maximum attention to patients with COPD in the regular use of drugs, their proper use, in taking preventive measures, and in adult vaccination., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Azkan Ture, Bhattacharya, Demirci and Yildiz.)

Introduction: The search for biomarkers that could help in predicting disease prognosis in the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is still high on the agenda., Objective: To find out the efficacy of D-dimer and mean platelet volume (MPV) combination as a prognostic marker in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with bilateral infiltration., Materials and Methods: Study design: Retrospective observational cohort. Patients who were presented to our hospital between March 16, 2020 and June 07, 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. The primary outcome of the study was specified as the need for intensive care, while the secondary outcomes were duration of treatment and hospitalization. Receiver operator curve (ROC) analyzes were carried out to assess the efficacy of D-dimer and MPV parameters as prognostic markers., Results: Between the mentioned dates, 575 of 1,564 patients were found to be compatible with COVID-19, and the number of patients who were included in the study was 306. The number of patients who developed the need for intensive care was 40 (13.1%). For serum D-dimer levels in assessing the need for intensive care, the area under the curve (AUC) was found to be 0.707 (95% CI: 0.620-0.794). The AUC for MPV was 0.694 (95% CI: 0.585-0.803), when D-dimer was ≥1.0 mg/L. When patients with a D-dimer level of ≥1.0 mg/L were divided into two groups considering the MPV cut-off value as 8.1, the rate of intensive care transport was found to be significantly higher in patients with an MPV of ≥8.1 fL compared to those with an MPV of <8.1 fL (32.6 vs. 16.0%, p = 0.043). For the prognostic efficacy of the combination of D-dimer ≥ 1.0 mg/L and MPV ≥ 8.1 fL in determining the need for intensive care, following values were determined: sensitivity: 57.7%, specificity: 70.8%, positive predictive value (PPV): 32.0%, negative predictive value (NPV): 84.0%, and accuracy: 63.0%. When D-dimer was ≥1.0, the median duration of treatment in MPV <8.1 and ≥8.1 groups was 5.0 [interquartile range (IQR): 5.0-10.0] days for both groups ( p = 0.64). The median length of hospital stay (LOS) was 7.0 (IQR: 5.0-10.5) days in the MPV <8.1 group, while it was 8.5 (IQR: 5.0-16.3) days in the MPV ≥ 8.1 group ( p = 0.17)., Conclusion: In COVID-19 patients with a serum D-dimer level of at least 1.0 mg/L and radiological bilateral infiltration at hospitalization, if the MPV value is ≥8.1, we could predict the need for intensive care with moderate efficacy and a relatively high negative predictive value. However, no correlation could be found between this combined marker and the duration of treatment and the LOS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Durmus Kocak, Oruc, Boga, Acar, Kavas, Aydogan Eroglu, Gundogus, Sogukpinar, Bekir, Oztin Guven, Akbay, Arinc, Duman, Takir, Yaman, Ozbaki, Sonkaya, Bulbul, Anil Tokyay, Dagyildizi, Akturk, Oztas, Ernam, Gungor, Adiguzel, Yildiz, Mocin, Gunen, Yildiz, Sevim and Torun.)

Background: Granulomatous inflammation is found in a wide range of diseases, and most commonly associated with sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. Granulomas are pathologically classified into two main groups; necrotic and non-necrotic., Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiological, laboratory, and pathological findings of a large patient population with granuloma in biopsy samples, to determine the final diagnostic distribution., Methods: This study was designed as a retrospective, descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study. It was conducted in patients with granulomatous inflammation detected in lung, pleural, mediastinal, hilar, and/or peripheral lymph node biopsies. Demographic information, radiological, microbiological, and laboratory results of the patients were obtained via the information processing system of the hospital. The diagnoses recorded were re-evaluated by at least two experienced clinicians and the final diagnosis distributions were made., Results: A total of 392 patients were included in the study. Non-necrotizing inflammation was detected in 268 patients, and necrotizing granulomatous inflammation was found in 124 patients. The most common cause of non-necrotizing inflammation was sarcoidosis, and tuberculosis in the case of necrotizing inflammation. A total of 77.2% of sarcoidosis patients had non-necrotizing inflammation and 54.3% of the tuberculosis patients had necrotizing inflammation. In the diagnosis distribution of granulomatous inflammation sarcoidosis, mycobacterium infections (especially tuberculosis), sarcoid reaction due to malignancy, pneumoconiosis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis were detected, respectively. A total of 392 patients were diagnosed with 13 different diseases. In 15 patients (3.8%) no specific diagnosis could be made., Conclusions: The diagnosis of granulomatous inflammation detected in biopsy samples is common for clinicians and a differential diagnosis is difficult in many cases. A patient's clinical findings, laboratory results, and radiological appearance, should be evaluated in detail and a final diagnosis only made following a multidisciplinary discussion. The presence of necrosis in tissue samples alone is not a reliable finding for a final diagnosis., Competing Interests: Each author declares that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g. consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangement etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article., (Copyright: © 2021 SARCOIDOSIS VASCULITIS AND DIFFUSE LUNG DISEASES.)

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease that can progressively restrict spinal mobility., Objective: This study aimed to investigate how smoking cessation by AS patients affects disease activity and their psychological state, physical mobility, lung function, and quality of life., Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal, single-blind, controlled, and observational study on 92 AS patients. Pulmonary function test, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, chest expansion, Short-Form 36, and Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life were evaluated. The patients were divided into smokers (group 1 = 54) and nonsmokers (group 2 = 38). The smokers were divided further into subgroups of those who quit smoking (group 1a = 17) and those who did not (group 1b = 37). Groups 1a and 1b patients were compared in terms of their baseline data and data 6 months after smoking cessation. In addition, group 1a patients' baseline data and data 6 months after smoking cessation were compared statistically., Results: There was no statistically significant difference between groups 1a and 1b after 6 months in terms of the evaluated parameters, except for BASDAI. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index was significantly lower in group 1a than group 1b (p = 0.02), indicating that. When the baseline data and data after 6 months of group 1a were compared, a significant improvement was found in BASDAI (p = 0.001), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (p = 0.001), chest expansion (p = 0.001), ankylosing spondylitis quality of life (p = 0.003), and subparameters physical function (p = 0.015), physical role strength (p = 0.05), power/live/vitality (p = 0.025), social functioning (p = 0.039), pain (p = 0.036), and general health perception (p = 0.05) of Short-Form 36, as well as forced expiratory volume in the first second (p = 0.003) and forced vital capacity (p = 0.007)., Conclusions: We observed significant improvements in disease activity, physical mobility, and quality of life in AS patients who quit smoking.

The aim of this study was to estimate the quality of life, depression and anxiety in patients with silicosis due to denim sandblasting. This study was conducted on 50 young male patients with silicosis and 30 controls. A socio-demographic data form, Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Beck depression inventory (BDI) and the Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) were used to determine quality of life, depression and anxiety. The mean scores of SF-36, BDI and BAI were higher in the patients than in the controls. Correlation analysis revealed a strong negative correlation between all scales of SF-36 and BDI scores. Additionally, there was strong negative correlation between five scales of SF-36 and BAI scores. We suggest that silicosis might be detrimental to the quality of life and increase depression and anxiety in patients with silicosis due to denim sandblasting.

Background: Denim sandblasting is as a novel cause of silicosis in Turkey, with reports of a recent increase in cases and fatal outcomes. We aimed to describe the radiological features of patients exposed to silica during denim sandblasting and define factors related to the development of silicosis., Methods: Sixty consecutive men with a history of exposure to silica during denim sandblasting were recruited. All CT examinations were performed using a 64-row multi-detector CT (MDCT). The nodules were qualitatively and semi-quantitatively analyzed by grading nodular profusion (NP) on CT images., Results: Silicosis was diagnosed radiologically in 73.3% of patients (44 of 60). The latency period (the time between initial exposure and radiological imaging) and duration of silica exposure was longer in patients diagnosed with silicosis than in those without silicosis (p < 0.05). Nodules were present in all cases with centrilobular type as the commonest (63.6%). All cases of silicosis were clinically classified as accelerated and 11.4% had progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Mild NP lesions were the most prevalent in all six zones of the lung. The NP score was significantly correlated with the duration of silica exposure, the latency period, presence of PMF, and pleural thickening. Enlarged lymphadenopathy was present in 45.5% of patients., Conclusions: The duration of exposure and the latency period are important for development of silicosis in denim sandblasters. MDCT is a useful tool in detecting findings of silicosis in workers who has silica exposure.