Radiological features of asbestos-related visceral pleural changes.
The radiological manifestations of asbestos-related visceral pleural changes are described. Generally, visceral pleural reactions follow the mesothelial cells response to various injurious substances, including asbestos, and even saline. The changes are nonspecific. They may occur subsequent to pleural reactions associated with many conditions, which include tuberculosis, viral pleurisy, malignancy and lymphoma, lupus, or rheumatoid-induced effusions, cardiac failure, and pulmonary embolism, among other etiologies. The failure to absorb the fibrinous exudate on the visceral pleural surface can lead to the development of diffuse fibrosis of the serosal surface, interlobar pleural thickening, localized pleural filaments (strands), subpleural wedge, and lenticular-shaped masses, and could be the forerunner of lobular atelectasis (pseudotumor) formation. Some of the features are recognized on posteroanterior chest radiographs and the counterparts corroborated with the use of routine and high-resolution computed tomography studies.
Solomon
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Division of Imaging, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Ichilov Hospital, Israel.
D001195:Asbestosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D010994:Pleura / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed