title: [Clinical evaluation of rounded atelectasis induced by exposure to asbestos].
abstract: We encountered 15 patients with rounded atelectasis induced by exposure to asbestos from 1992 to 1999. All patients were men whose ages ranged from 42 to 85 years, with a mean age of 64.2 +/- 11.5 years. Rounded atelectasis was present only in the right lung and two patients had 2 rounded atelectasis in the right lung. In eight cases, the rounded atelectasis was found in segment 10, while in the others, it was found in segments 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9. Although evidence of symptoms was absent, rounded atelectasis was detected in six patients through medical examinations. Others complained of chest pain and dyspnea. Thirteen patients displayed pleural plaques and only 2 patients revealed asbestosis. Malignant complications were discovered in 4 patients, of whom 3 showed primary lung cancer and 1 suffered acute myelocytic leukemia. In their occupational histories, 7 patients had been exposed to asbestos in the shipyards and 5 in the construction field. The mean period of the exposure was 25.1 +/- 12.7 years, and the latency period from the first asbestos exposure to the detection of atelectasis was 35.1 +/- 8.8 years. Five autopsied patients had more than 10,000 asbestos bodies in the lung, which indicated heavy exposure to asbestos. These results suggest that rounded atelectasis may appear after high-dose exposure to asbestos.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Okayama Rousai Hospital, 1-10-25 Chikkomidorimachi, Okayama, 702-8055 Japan.
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okahara
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohke
authors.forename: Kazuhi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010998:Pleurisy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D001261:Pulmonary Atelectasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D001194:Asbestos