asbestos lung disease

• pleural plaques
  • earliest finding, may be only evidence
  • parietal pleura
  • 15-20 yrs after exposure
  • calcified after ca. 30 yrs

• "asbestosis"
  • interstitial lung dz
  • perihilar regions --> lung bases
  • "shaggy heart"

• no cavitation or PMF as in silicosis
• crocidolite (blue) form most carcinogenic
• associated with:
  • malignant pleural mesothelioma
  • peritoneal mesothelioma
  • GI-tract malignancy

© 2002, C.E. Kahn, Jr.
2002-04-18