Asbestos Exposure Inhalation of asbestos fibers
PleuralPulmonaryExtra thoracic Pleural plaque Diffuse pleural
thickening Pleural effusions Malignant mesothelioma Fibrosis
(asbestosis) Bronchial carcinoma (usually in lower zones) Round
atelectasis (pseudo tumor) Peritoneal mesothelioma Other extra
thoracic malignancies
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Asbestosis Def : diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis that
occurs secondary to the inhalation of asbestos fibers
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Diagnostic imaging chest I 2-38
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Radiography May be normal (10-20%) Peripheral lower zone
predominance Irregular reticular or small nodular opacities
"Shaggy" cardiac silhouette in advanced disease Late: Endstage
honeycombing Pleural plaques (25%) Lung cancer: Lower zone
predominance in contrast to the upper zone predominance in the
general population of smokers Progressive massive fibrosis
extremely rare
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Small subpleural nodules (straight arrows), Patchy ground-glass
opacities (curved arrows), Interlobular septal thickening
(arrowhead) suggestive of early-stage asbestosis.
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Pleural plaque : band like pleural thickening (arrowheads) in
the lower lobe of both lungs
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Asbestosis : subpleural consolidation (arrow) in the lower lobe
of the left lung, with reticulation, ground-glass opacities, and
honeycombing
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Pt with asbestos exposure: subpleural consolidation (arrow),
pleural thickening (arrowheads) and effusion.
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Parenchymal bands in asbestosis Webb
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Subpleural Lines curvilinear opacity a few millimeters or less
in thickness, less than 1 cm from the pleural surface nonspecific
indicator of atelectasis, fibrosis, or inflammation more common in
patients who have asbestosis than in those who have IPF or other
causes of UIP
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Asbestosis VS idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis IPF more basal and
sub pleural fibrosis presence of parietal pleural thickening in
association with lung fibrosis is the most important feature
differentiating asbestos- induced pulmonary fibrosis from IPF
asbestos bodies in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
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Case H/O asbestos exposure
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References RadioGraphics 2006; 26:5977 Pneumoconiosis:
Comparison of Imaging and Pathologic Findings Diagnostic imaging
chest I 2-38 High-Resolution CT of the Lung -webb
