Asymmetrical changes in asbestos-related disease

The radiographic changes in 200 patients with known or suspected asbestos exposure were reviewed. Pleural plaques or thickening, with or without calcification, occurred solely or predominantly on the left side in 90, on the right side in 32, and equally bilaterally in 44. Asymmetry is common in asbestos-related disease, and apparently unilateral findings should prompt a search for more subtle changes elsewhere.