title: [Pulmonary disease due to asbestos in steel industry workers].
abstract: Asbestos-related diseases are caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers in their variety chrysotile or white asbestos. Although the ban in Argentina dates from 2003, there are numerous industries where work continues with this mineral, including iron and steel industries. It is currently known the high pathogenicity of this material, so that in many countries there are programs to monitoring the exposed workers. Here we describe the general characteristics and pulmonary manifestations in 27 patients who had worked in a very huge steel factory in South America. The diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases was made by a medical-occupational record, history of asbestos exposure, additional studies of lung function and chest images. Then the sources of exposure (occupational, domestic and environmental), exposure time and latency period were analyzed, in those patients in whom a related disease was detected. Smoking history was also taken into account. Twenty-two patients had benigns pathologies (81.4%), sixteen of them with lesions localyzed in pleura, and other six pulmonary asbestosis. The malignant pathologies occurred in five patients (18.5%), in four of them mesothelioma and in other one lung cancer. The problem of asbestos exposure has contemporary relevance. Hence the need for a surveillance program in workers exposed to asbestos in the past or currently, to detect, report, record and investigate the characteristics of these pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Centro Asistencial Metalúrgico, UOM, Villa Constitución, Santa Fe, Argentina. ritazurbriggen@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zurbriggen
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013232:Steel
chemical_list: D013232:Steel; D001194:Asbestos
keywords: asbestos; asbestosis; mesothelioma; occupational disease; pleural disease