title: Clinical and HRCT screening of heavily asbestos-exposed workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize asbestosis today and to clarify the indications for high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in the surveillance of heavily exposed workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six hundred and twenty-seven workers were screened and HRCT findings were classified and divided in two groups: pulmonary fibrosis (n = 86) and no fibrosis (n = 541).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most (65/86 = 76%) of the detected fibrosis cases were mild. The magnitude of asbestos exposure showed an unexpected inverse relation with fibrosis. In multivariate analyses, age, forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ratio, and poor diffusing capacity were associated with HRCT fibrosis, but asbestos exposure was not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asbestosis seems to be characterized by mild fibrosis today even in heavily exposed workers. To avoid radiation exposure in HRCT, age and lung function data may be used only to a limited extent to select imaging candidates. Selection and recollection biases may distort the relation between asbestos exposure and fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Tampere University Hospital, Teiskontie 35, 33521, Tampere, Finland. tuula.vierikko@fimnet.fi
authors.forename: Tuula
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vierikko
authors.forename: Ritva
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Järvenpää
authors.forename: Pauliina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toivio
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uitti
authors.forename: Panu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oksa
authors.forename: Tuula
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lindholm
authors.forename: Tapio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vehmas
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity*; D001194:Asbestos / Q000633:toxicity*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010994:Pleura / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D001194:Asbestos