Diseases and Radiological Findings Caused by Asbestos and Erionite

Benign pleural lesions The benign radiological findings which occur after exposure to asbestos are of two main types: firstly, these involving the parietal pleura, i. e. the inside of the chest wall, the diaphragm, and the mediastinal surfaces. These are called pleural plaques. Since the lung is not involved, there is only minor or no affection of lung function by these lesions. Secondly, there are those lesions which involve the visceral pleura, i.e. the outer layer of the lung. These lesions often cause affection of the lung function.

Pleural plaques The by far most common asbestos-related lesions are the pleural plaques. Macroscopically, they are shining white elevations with sharp borders. Microscopically, they consist of fibro-hyaline connective tissue containing very few cells. There are no inflammatory cells within the plaques, but small aggregates can be seen in their periphery, indicating a low-grade inflammation there.