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Pulmonary function, smoking habits, and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) early abnormalities of lung and pleural fibrosis in shipyard workers exposed to asbestos
Author(s) -
Neri Silvano,
Boraschi Piero,
Antonelli Alessandro,
Falaschi Fabio,
Baschieri Lidio
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199611)30:5<588::aid-ajim6>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - medicine , asbestos , pulmonary function testing , asbestosis , parenchyma , asymptomatic , lung , high resolution computed tomography , respiratory disease , radiology , diffusing capacity , pathology , lung function , materials science , metallurgy
To evaluate the presence of asbestos‐related pleural and parenchymal abnormalities and their correlation with pulmonary function and smoking habits, 119 asbestos‐exposed asymptomatic workers (mean age, 46.2 years; mean duration of asbestos exposure, 8.6 years; mean latency time, 21.6 years) with normal standard P‐A chest radiographs were submitted to HRCT, CO‐diffusing capacity, and pulmonary function tests. HRCT scans were normal only in 31 (26%) examined workers; 31 (26%) subjects showed both pleural and parenchymal involvement, and 50 (42%) and seven (6%) had exclusively pleural and parenchymal abnormalities, respectively. Based on CO‐diffusing capacity and pulmonary function tests, no significant difference was demonstrated between workers with pleural lesions and subjects with normal pleura; however, lower values of FVC were observed in the nonsmoking workers with parenchymal abnormalities in comparison with nonsmoking subjects with normal parenchyma (78.2 vs. 89.7% of predicted values; p = 0.03 by student's two‐tailed t test), and lower values of FEV 1 /FVC in the smokers with parenchymal lesions with respect to smokers with normal parenchyma (93.7 vs. 100.2% of predicted values; p = 0.005 by student's two‐tailed t test). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that HRCT may detect early parenchymal abnormalities which correlate with exposure to asbestos and respiratory function impairment, including a reduction in obstructive indices in smokers occupationally exposed to asbestos, without any clinically evident disease. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.