Diffuse pleural thickening in an asbestos-exposed population: prevalence and causes
Two types of pleural reaction have been described in association with asbestos exposure: pleural plaques and diffuse pleural thickening. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and causes of diffuse thickening in asbestos-exposed persons. Serial chest radiographs in 1373 exposed individuals and 717 controls were interpreted according to the ILO scheme by two B readers. Among the exposed group, plaques and diffuse thickening occurred with almost equal frequency, 16.5% and 13.5%, respectively. Of the 185 cases with diffuse thickening, the radiographic appearance was most often due to the residual of a benign asbestos effusion (31.3%) or confluent plaques (25.4%). The most commonly held explanation of diffuse thickening, an extension of pulmonary fibrosis to the visceral and parietal pleura, was actually infrequent (10.2%). Among the group with diffuse thickening without asbestosis, the forced vital capacity and single-breath diffusing capacity were significantly lower than those of comparable normal persons and those with confluent plaques.
- Research Organization:
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- OSTI ID:
- 5968986
- Journal Information:
- AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States), Vol. 144:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ASBESTOS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
LUNGS
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
FIBROSIS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
PERSONNEL
BODY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
RADIOLOGY
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
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550602 - Medicine- External Radiation in Diagnostics- (1980-)