PLEURAL THICKENING - ITS SIGNIFICANCE AND RELATIONSHIP TO ASBESTOS DUST EXPOSURE

Abstract

Admission chest radiographs of 824 patients were screened for the presence of bilateral pleural thickening. Those paitents with pleural thickening were scored according to the ILO [International Lung Organization] classification of radiographs of the pneumoconioses. The prevalence of bilateral pleural thickening was high (6.2%) in these patients, of whom 67% had an environmental or occupational history suggestive of asbestos exposure. The predictive value of bilateral pleural thickening alone as an indicator of previous asbestos exposure was 67%. If known medical or surgical etiologies of pleural thickening were excluded, then the predictive value increased to 81%. Radiographic detection of bilateral pleural thickening has a strong association with prior asbestos exposure.