Pleural Plaques: The Facts
Pleural Plaques are calcified deposits which have developed on to the surface of the lung, and occur as a result of exposure to asbestos, and particularly the fibres in asbestos, and appear over a long passage of time.
They do not cause respiratory injury or breathlessness as other asbestos related illnesses do, but for those suffering with them they are cause for deep concern. This is because they suggest asbestos exposure, meaning that the sufferer is at a higher risk of mesothelioma and other more serious illnesses caused by asbestos exposure.
In the majority pleural plaques cases, the patient retains their usual respiratory function, although plaques of sufficient size can impair lung capacity to some extent, although to a lesser impact than other conditions such as pleural fibrosis.
It is difficult to ascertain a figure for those suffering from pleural plaques as there is a great deal of uncertainty with factors such definition of pleural plaques cases, duration of follow up and the data sources, but taking into account these variation, it is estimated that between a third and half of those exposed to asbestos in the work place end up suffering from calcified pleural plaques thirty years after the exposure and an estimated 10% will experience uncalcified plaques twenty years after.
The sensitivity of x-rays to pick up pleural plaques lies sits under 40%, as the plaque must be a certain density to show. This means that post-mortem surveys are more likely to reveal pleural plaques and so the figures are higher in post mortem.
Pipe fitters and insulators are just two professions where pleural plaques commonly occur and experts have learnt from past cases that the bigger the plaque the more likely it is to be calcified as increased fiber burden is characterised by larger plaques.
However there are cases where someone with no evidence of pleural plaques may still suffer with the same fiber burden, as plaques develop dependent on the immune system of the sufferer, so just because there are no plaques it doesn’t mean there has been no asbestos exposure.
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