This poster was originally presented at the ESTI 2012 meeting, June 22-24, in London/UK.
www.myESTI.org
Keywords:
Respiratory system, CT-High Resolution, CT, Experimental, Diagnostic procedure, Experimental investigations, Occupational / Environmental hazards, Calcifications / Calculi, Neoplasia
Authors:
A. Monsell, P. Culinan, J. Maxwell, O. Romanos, J. Gutsell, A. Ferguson, S. Copley, D. M. Hansell, S. Desai; London/UK
DOI:
10.1594/esti2012/E-0077
Objectives
Pleural plaques are biomarkers of previous asbestos exposure [1-2] which are typically apparent 15 to 25 years after exposure.
However,
the prevalence of plaques in the United Kingdom is currently unknown: there have been no large-scale population-based prospective surveys to answer this question.
There is broad consensus that plaques are asymptomatic and not associated with functional impairment per se [4].
It is also accepted that pleural plaques do not undergo malignant degeneration [1].
However,
there is the known tendency for some plaques to increase in size over time (albeit slowly),
independent of any further exposure to asbestos [5].
Two further considerations exist: first,
the strong association between the severity of pleural disease and asbestosis the latter rarely being encountered in the absence of the former [3] and second,
the qualitative and quantitative similarity in the known exposure response relationships for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and pleural plaques.
The aim of the pilot study was to quantify the prevalence of pleural plaques on CT and investigate cryptic sources of asbestos exposure.
References:
(1) Nishimura SL,
Broaddus VC.
Asbestosinduced pleural disease.
Clin Chest Med 1998;19:31129.
(2) Hillerdal G,
Lindgren A.
Pleural plaques: correlation of autopsy findings to radiographic findings and occupational history.
Eur J Respir Dis 1980;61:3159.
(3) Gamsu G.
Highresolution CT in the diagnosis of asbestosrelated pleuroparenchymal disease.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine 1989;16:1157.
(4) Jones RN,
McLoud TC,
Rockoff SD.
The radiographic pleural abnormalities in asbestos exposure: relationship to physiologic abnormalities.
J Thorac Imaging 1988;3:5765.
(5) Becklake MR,
Case BW.
Fiber burden and asbestosrelated lung disease: determinants of doseresponse relationships.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1994;150:148892