[Nonmalignant pleural disease in asbestos exposed workers].
The review deals with nonmalignant pleural changes related to asbestos: pleural thickenings, calcifications and effusions. The pathology of the pleural changes and their prevalence in asbestos exposed populations is described. The report presents also the ILO radiographic criteria for identification and classification of pleural changes and the correlation of X-ray findings to autopsy ones. The function of the lung in workers with the pleural disease is analyzed in terms of specific respiratory defects such as restriction of lung size and transfer defect. Finally the implication of the diagnosis of nonmalignant pleural disease for clinical practice is discussed with a special regarded to asbestos related occupational lung disease.
Asbestos↗