PLEURAL THICKENING - ITS SIGNIFICANCE AND RELATIONSHIP TO ASBESTOS DUST EXPOSURE

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Abstract
Admission chest radiographs of 824 patients were screened for the presence of bilateral pleural thickening. Those paitents with pleural thickening were scored according to the ILO [International Lung Organization] classification of radiographs of the pneumoconioses. The prevalence of bilateral pleural thickening was high (6.2%) in these patients, of whom 67% had an environmental or occupational history suggestive of asbestos exposure. The predictive value of bilateral pleural thickening alone as an indicator of previous asbestos exposure was 67%. If known medical or surgical etiologies of pleural thickening were excluded, then the predictive value increased to 81%. Radiographic detection of bilateral pleural thickening has a strong association with prior asbestos exposure.