Asbestos Diseases: Asbestos Pleural Disease

Asbestos Diseases: Asbestos Pleural Disease

Asbestos pleural disease is a nonmalignant disease caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers that scar the pleura. The pleura is the thin membrane lining the lung and chest cavity. If the scarring is diffuse and extends along the chest wall, it is called pleural thickening. If the scarring is more focused and well–defined, it is called pleural plaques.

Asbestos pleural disease results in a similar scarring process as the one that occurs inside the lung with asbestosis; however, it occurs in the lining of the lungs rather than in the lungs. Pleural thickening and pleural plaques can cause shortness of breath and impair lung function. Although its symptoms may be treated, asbestos pleural disease is permanent and progressive with no cure. Even after exposure to asbestos has ceased, scarring continues due to the body’s interaction with retained asbestos fibers.

Pleural scarring, which is often seen in conjunction with asbestosis, can be detected on chest x–rays and CT scans and usually reflects a significant history of exposure to asbestos. It normally takes at least 10 years after the first exposure to asbestos for asbestos pleural disease to develop.