title: Clinical presentation of asbestosis with intractable pleural pain in the adult child of a taconite miner and radiographic demonstration of the probable pathology causing the pain.
abstract: Taconite, although not classified by the United States Government as asbestos or asbestiform material, has been associated with asbestos-related diseases. The mineral is used in the production of steel and as a road-patch material and is mined in Michigan and Minnesota. This report describes the case of a middle-aged Caucasian woman with exposure to taconite mining dust from her miner father's clothing in childhood with a resultant presentation consistent with asbestosis and intractable pleural pain. Intractable pleural pain has been described in asbestos-exposed patients with theorized etiologies. However, no in vivo reported mechanism has demonstrated a plausible, anatomically apparent mechanism for the pain. We utilize an application of the Vitrea software for enhancement of high-resolution computerized tomography which demonstrates at least one likely mechanism for intractable pleural pain.
authors: Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
authors: Michael R
authors: MR
authors: Harbut
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Endress
authors: John J
authors: JJ
authors: Graff
authors: Christopher
authors: C
authors: Weis
authors: Harvey
authors: H
authors: Pass
mesh_terms: D001195:Asbestosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D002114:Calcinosis; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000633:toxicity*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009679:Nuclear Family; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D017640:Silicates / Q000633:toxicity*; D013995:Time; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D017640:Silicates; C026703:taconite; D007501:Iron