Computed tomography of asbestos-related pleural abnormalities

Abstract

The extent, calcification and thickness were well-repeatable indicators of benign pleural pathology and thus their use in future classification systems in computed tomography is recommended. In our material, the extent of 45 cm(2) and the degree of calcification were helpful in discriminating between pleural changes in workers with occupational disease, and those in controls who also presented marked pleural pathology.

Inter-reader variability in chest radiography and HRCT for the early detection of asbestos-related lung and pleural abnormalities in a cohort of 636 asbestos-exposed subjects

“…Three radiologists classified the CT scans (four categories) and weighed j-values were on average 0.38. Tiitola et al (2002) regarded CT scans of altogether 652 asbestos-exposed employees and controls. Three readers classified the scans according to a four-point classification system of pleural lesions only.…”

Impairment of lung function in asbestos-exposed workers in relation to high-resolution computed tomography

“…Of these, ethnically Finnish smoking men from the Helsinki area and willing to participate in additional studies and, in addition, nonsmokers with asbestosis were included (N=602) (18,19); however, women (N=10) and two persons with insufficient data were excluded. A total of 590 persons were examined at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.…”

Lung and pleural CT signs predict deaths: 10-year follow-up after lung cancer screening of asbestos-exposed workers

“…Zero score indicated normal finding and the maximal score (5 or 3 depending on the sign) the most advanced possible pathological finding. The lung findings were defined according to the textbook by Webb et al (1996), and the scoring system and the consistency of readings have been described in detail (Tiitola et al 2002b;Huuskonen et al 2001Huuskonen et al , 2004. The bilateral average scores of signs given by the three radiologists were used.…”