Pulmonary function, smoking habits, and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) early abnormalities of lung and pleural fibrosis in shipyard workers exposed to asbestos

Lung function impairment in relation to asbestos-induced pleural lesions with reference to the extent of the lesions and the initial parenchymal fibrosis

“…In agreement with our conclusions, an effect of asbestos-induced pleural lesions on these parameters has been reported by many authors (8,(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20). Nevertheless, other authors (11,13,21) have not found a poorer lung function in the presence of pleural lesions.…”

“…Another possible explanation may be a smaller extent of pleural lesions. The participants in the study of Neri et al (21) showed signs of pleural lesions in their HRCT scans but not in their chest radiographs. The authors did not give the pleural lesion categorization in more detail.…”

Factors associated with early-stage pulmonary fibrosis as determined by high-resolution computed tomography among persons occupationally exposed to asbestos

“…Systematic use of HRCT for cohorts of people who have been exposed to asbestos revealed interstitial abnormalities consistent with asbestosis in a sizeable fraction of the asymptomatic persons whose posteroanterior chest X-rays (7)(8)(9) or pulmonary function (7,9) were considered normal. As a result, systematic HRCT scanning with a 6-year periodicity was recommended recently in France for the diagnosis of asbestosis for people who are over 50 years of age and have had high occupational exposure to asbestos (10).…”

High-resolution computed tomography classification of lung fibrosis for patients with asbestos-related disease

“…Since the late 1980s, computed tomography (CT) and especially thin-section high-resolution CT (HRCT) have proved to be much more sensitive in detecting asbestos-induced pleural and parenchymal changes in their early stages (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11), even before clinical signs are present (12)(13)(14). With the new technologies it may be difficult to separate between subnormal radiological findings that can occur in a normal elderly population and the significant ones possibly due occupational exposure.…”