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what is defused pleural thickening?

asbestos related decease

the rrt-nps has an good response but doesnt quite get to the root of your question. let me explain. the pleura is a thin membrane which lines the outer wall of the lung (organ) and the interior wall of the chest cavity. in between those two membranes is a thin veil of fluid which keep the two tissues linings slippery. that just describes the pleura membranes. now oddly enough the pleura is also a term applied to mean the active tissue which makes up the lung as an organ. so what is thickening? if we’re relating to the pleural membranes then those fine tissues begin to loose their elastic properties and prevent the lung from expanding as well as it could on inhalation (mind you this is a very simplistic explanation), and can cause pleural effusions and infections of the lining/s. if were talking about thickening of the pleura, as the tissue of the lung, then it means the tissue is loosing its elastic properties, the air passages begin to harden (not like cement but sort of), airflow is impaired, and in general the lung cannot expand as well as it should. xrays show whitishness in areas where there shouldnt be much whiteishness. im not going to explain that except to say lung tissue normally is black, as tissue stiffens it can demonstrate white (which means more density or scarring.) asbestosis does have an affect on both the pleural linings and the pleural tissue, but one has to have been exposed to asbestose for at least 15 years even more for a doctor to definitively state that pathologic asbestosis is present . then it must be confirmed by xray/ct scan, and pulmonary function testing that demonstrates a restrictive process, a decreased DLCO (diffusion study), with an increase in the time for nitrogen wash out to occur. i have probably over answered your question but when you bring asbestosis into the discussion then you need to more fully understand what pleural thickening means. asbestosis is also irreversible and may qualify on for disability because it can be debilitating.

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