title: [Clinical statistics of outpatients investigated for asbestos-related lung diseases at a general hospital in Tokyo].
abstract: We evaluated 122 outpatients who visited our hospital for examination of asbestos-related diseases between November, 2005 and October, 2006. Patients were divided into three groups; occupational exposure, non-occupational exposure and non-exposure groups. The occupational exposure group showed a significantly higher rate of asbestos-related abnormal findings than the non-occupational exposure plus the non-exposure group (33% vs. 5%, respectively; P = 0.001). Pleural plaque was the most common abnormal finding related to asbestos. Only four of 24 patients with pleural plaques could obtain personal health records for workers enjoyed in dangerous work, whereas the rest of them were not able to mainly because they were self-employed. A health support system is necessary to also cover non-employees.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo Hospital.
authors.forename: Kazuyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Tatsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yomota
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kohno
authors.forename: Ritsuko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Narato
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D001195:Asbestosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D014041:Tokyo / Q000453:epidemiology