ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Edward A. Gaensler
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gaensler, E. A.
Right arrow Articles by Carrington, C. B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Gaensler, E. A.
Right arrow Articles by Carrington, C. B.

Ann Thorac Surg 1985;40:82-96
© 1985 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Articles

Thoracic Surgical Problems in Asbestos-Related Disorders

Edward A. Gaensler, M.D.*, Theresa C. McLoud, M.D., Charles B. Carrington, M.D.

Thoracic Services, Departments of Medicine and Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine; the Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; and the Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA

* Address reprint requests to Dr. Gaensler, Boston University School of Medicine, 80 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118

Among 1,577 persons with asbestos exposure followed up from 3 to 30 years, 113 had thoracic surgical procedures for asbestos-related disorders. Twenty-six individuals suspected of having asbestosis with atypical features underwent open-lung biopsy; a different disease was revealed in 14. Most of the 29 patients with mesothelioma had a small thoracotomy for diagnosis only; chemotherapy in half of them proved entirely ineffective. Experience with 23 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma did not differ from that in persons not exposed to asbestos. Problems of causal relationship are discussed. Most of the 68 individuals with benign asbestos pleural effusion had no symptoms, but because of recurrence, 15 were operated on for decortication or for possible mesothelioma. Hyaline plaques often were mistaken for lung, rib, or diaphragmatic tumors, and sometimes mesothelioma was suspected. Operative intervention in the 24 patients with plaques could have been avoided by obtaining a more detailed occupational history and reviewing previous chest roentgenograms, which invariably showed identical or smaller plaques from 2 to 17 years earlier.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 1985 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.