Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Industrial Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Industrial Medicine
. 1989 Feb;46(2):106–110. doi: 10.1136/oem.46.2.106

Asbestosis occurring after brief inhalational exposure: usefulness of bronchoalveolar lavage in diagnosis.

R G Barbers 1, J L Abraham 1
PMCID: PMC1009735  PMID: 2538140

Abstract

A case of clinically and radiologically typical asbestosis manifesting in a 55 year old man occurred 36 years after a brief exposure period of less than one year. A transbronchial lung biopsy was performed but the samples were considered non-diagnostic. The diagnosis was supported by the use of bronchoalveolar lavage to obtain alveolar samples and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x ray analysis of fibres found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid which showed a predominance of amosite.

Full text

PDF
106

Images in this article

107Image
on p.107
107Image
on p.107
108Image
on p.108
109Image
on p.109

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abraham J. L., Burnett B. R. Quantitative analysis of inorganic particulate burden in situ in tissue sections. Scan Electron Microsc. 1983;(Pt 2):681–696. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Albelda S. M., Epstein D. M., Gefter W. B., Miller W. T. Pleural thickening: its significance and relationship to asbestos dust exposure. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Oct;126(4):621–624. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.126.4.621. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Becklake M. R. Asbestos-related diseases of the lung and other organs: their epidemiology and implications for clinical practice. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1976 Jul;114(1):187–227. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1976.114.1.187. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Churg A. Asbestos fiber content of the lungs in patients with and without asbestos airways disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Apr;127(4):470–473. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.127.4.470. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Churg A., Warnock M. L. Asbestos fibers in the general population. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1980 Nov;122(5):669–678. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1980.122.5.669. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Churg A., Wiggs B., Depaoli L., Kampe B., Stevens B. Lung asbestos content in chrysotile workers with mesothelioma. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1984 Dec;130(6):1042–1045. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1984.130.6.1042. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Craighead J. E., Abraham J. L., Churg A., Green F. H., Kleinerman J., Pratt P. C., Seemayer T. A., Vallyathan V., Weill H. The pathology of asbestos-associated diseases of the lungs and pleural cavities: diagnostic criteria and proposed grading schema. Report of the Pneumoconiosis Committee of the College of American Pathologists and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1982 Oct 8;106(11):544–596. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. De Vuyst P., Dumortier P., Moulin E., Yourassowsky N., Yernault J. C. Diagnostic value of asbestos bodies in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987 Nov;136(5):1219–1224. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/136.5.1219. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. De Vuyst P., Jedwab J., Dumortier P., Vandermoten G., Vande Weyer R., Yernault J. C. Asbestos bodies in bronchoalveolar lavage. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Dec;126(6):972–976. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.126.6.972. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Detels R., Tashkin D. P., Simmons M. S., Carmichael H. E., Jr, Sayre J. W., Rokaw S. N., Coulson A. H. The UCLA population studies of chronic obstructive respiratory disease. 5. Agreement and disagreement of tests in identifying abnormal lung function. Chest. 1982 Nov;82(5):630–638. doi: 10.1378/chest.82.5.630. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. GOLDMAN H. I., BECKLAKE M. R. Respiratory function tests; normal values at median altitudes and the prediction of normal results. Am Rev Tuberc. 1959 Apr;79(4):457–467. doi: 10.1164/artpd.1959.79.4.457. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hueper W. C. Occupational and nonoccupational exposures to asbestos. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1965 Dec 31;132(1):184–195. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1965.tb41101.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hunninghake G. W., Gadek J. E., Kawanami O., Ferrans V. J., Crystal R. G. Inflammatory and immune processes in the human lung in health and disease: evaluation by bronchoalveolar lavage. Am J Pathol. 1979 Oct;97(1):149–206. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Langer A. M., Mackler A. D., Pooley F. D. Electron microscopical investigation of asbestos fibers. Environ Health Perspect. 1974 Dec;9:63–80. doi: 10.1289/ehp.74963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mason G. R., Abraham J. L., Hoffman L., Cole S., Lippmann M., Wasserman K. Treatment of mixed-dust pneumoconiosis with whole lung lavage. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Dec;126(6):1102–1107. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.126.6.1102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Roggli V. L., Greenberg S. D., McLarty J. W., Hurst G. A., Hieger L. R., Farley M. L., Mabry L. C. Comparison of sputum and lung asbestos body counts in former asbestos workers. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1980 Dec;122(6):941–945. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1980.122.6.941. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Roggli V. L., Pratt P. C. Numbers of asbestos bodies on iron-stained tissue sections in relation to asbestos body counts in lung tissue digests. Hum Pathol. 1983 Apr;14(4):355–361. doi: 10.1016/s0046-8177(83)80122-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rubin I. A., Maggiore C. J. Elemental analysis of asbestos fibers by means of electron probe techniques. Environ Health Perspect. 1974 Dec;9:81–94. doi: 10.1289/ehp.74981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Schlueter D. P., Immekus J., Stead W. W. Relationship between maximal inspiratory pressure and total lung capacity (coefficient of retraction) in normal subjects and in patients with emphysema, asthma, and diffuse pulmonary infiltration. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1967 Oct;96(4):656–665. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1967.96.4.656. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Turner J. M., Mead J., Wohl M. E. Elasticity of human lungs in relation to age. J Appl Physiol. 1968 Dec;25(6):664–671. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1968.25.6.664. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Utidjian M. D., Gross P., DeTreville R. T. Ferruginous bodies in human lungs. Prevalence at random autopsies. Arch Environ Health. 1968 Sep;17(3):327–333. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1968.10665238. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Williams M. G., Jr, Dodson R. F., Corn C., Hurst G. A. A procedure for the isolation of amosite asbestos and ferruginous bodies from lung tissue and sputum. J Toxicol Environ Health. 1982 Oct-Nov;10(4-5):627–638. doi: 10.1080/15287398209530282. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Industrial Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES