US EPA

3080940 

Journal Article 

[Apical pleural fibrosis related to inhalation of asbestos fibers] 

Payerne, D; Pioche, D; Chailleux, E 

1999 

1 

Revue des Maladies Respiratoires
ISSN: 0761-8425 

16 

4 

563-566 

French 

10549069 

WOS:000083128900017 

The involvement of the apical pleura is infrequent in diffuse pleural thickening secondary to asbestos exposure. Most often diffuse pleural thickening is accompanied by an obliteration of the costophrenic angle and the posterior and paraspinous pleural surfaces of the pleura are involved to the greatest extent. Unlike this typical form, we observed in five patients exposed to asbestos an apical pleural fibrosis, uni or bilateral, accompanied with lung retraction, hilar ascension and tracheal attraction. Apical pleural thickening with upper lobe changes in asbestos-exposed persons should be regarded as due to the asbestos exposure, after exclusion of other causes like tuberculosis and the apex tumors. Usually the evolution of the lesions is slowly progressive over several years or even decade, and results in mild restrictive defect. 

asbestos; diffuse pleural thickening; apical pleural fibrosis