Asbestos related pleural plaques in retired boiler room workers.
Occupational disease is often underestimated and only a few formal reports have been published in Taiwan. This study reports of a group of workers with asbestos-induced-disease, pleural plaque in Taiwan. Pleural plaque is a marker of exposure to asbestos. The disease was found in chest radiographs of five boiler room workers in a sugar refining factory. The chest radiographs of 248 current workers in that plant were reviewed, and none of them was found to have pleural plaques. The storage of asbestos and the long-time use of mixed asbestos cement for insulation of the inner wall of the stove and pipes were found in the factory. The authors believe that the pleural plaques might be resulted from occupational exposure to asbestos. It is suggested that the use of asbestos should be prohibited, step by step, and regular follow-up of the workers with an asbestos exposure history is required.
Department of Occupational Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan, Republic of China.
T M
TM
Hsiao
C K
CK
Ho
W P
WP
Su
J J
JJ
Hwang
M S
MS
Tsai
T T
TT
Chau
S N
SN
Lu
W Y
WY
Chang
D000368:Aged; D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D011859:Radiography
D001194:Asbestos