Chest radiography in dust-exposed miners: promise and problems, potential and imperfections.

Since the early 1900s, it was recognized that many dust-exposed workers developed abnormal radiographs during life. Chest radiography remains the primary means of determining the presence and extent of dust-induced pneumoconiosis, although it is ineffective for detecting airways obstructions from mine dust exposure. This chapter reviews the uses and limitations of chest radiography in the study, surveillance, screening, clinical diagnosis, and disability determinations of occupational lung diseases in dust-exposed workers.