ILO Classification

The ILO Classification is a standardized system for reading and grading chest X-rays for signs of pneumoconiosis, the lung scarring caused by inhaling dusts like asbestos. Trained readers score the size, shape, and extent of small opacities and note features such as pleural thickening, using a set scale and reference films. It gives doctors and courts a consistent way to describe how much dust-related disease an X-ray shows.

Origin

The system was developed by the International Labour Organization, which published its first classification of pneumoconiosis radiographs in the 1950s and has revised it periodically since. It was designed to make readings comparable across doctors, workplaces, and countries.

Significance in Asbestos Context

An ILO reading is often a key piece of medical evidence in asbestosis and pleural disease claims, because it turns a chest X-ray into a graded, comparable score. Readings are done by certified B-readers, physicians who have passed a NIOSH exam, and the profusion grade they assign can support or weaken a diagnosis of asbestosis. Because different readers can score the same film differently, both sides may obtain their own B-reader, so an independent, well-qualified reading matters. Ask your doctor whether your films have been read under the ILO system and by a certified B-reader.

Example Sentence

The B-reader classified the patient's chest film at profusion 1/1 under the ILO Classification, consistent with early asbestosis.

Related Terms

B-Reader, Asbestosis, Pleural Plaques, Profusion, Chest Radiograph, Pneumoconiosis

Notes

• Ask whether your chest X-rays were interpreted by a NIOSH-certified B-reader using the ILO system, since that carries weight in claims.
• Keep the actual X-ray films or digital images, not just the report, since another reader may need to re-examine them.
• Be aware that opposing readers may disagree; a second qualified B-reader can address a low or disputed profusion score.