[Ultrasonic diagnosis of pleural changes in asbestosis]

One of the characteristic biological effects of the inhaled asbestos dust is the formation of hyaline thickenings on all pleurae in the form of plaques, in which calcium could be deposited. Due to the difficulties in the differentiation of the pleural hyalinosis with the conventional X-ray methods, the authors studied the potentialities of echography in 18 patients in contact with asbestos. They used two apparatuses (type "grey scale" 3401 of the firm (Brüel & Kjaër with linear scanning and "Siam" with sector scanning). Echography could establish areas of thickening on the parietal and diaphragmatic pleurae, to determine their thickness in micron and the degree of echogenicity. The comparison with the X-ray examination of the chest (face and I oblique position, lowvoltage technique) showed a positive finding with both methods in 7, suspicious X-ray finding with positive echography--in I, positive finding only with echography--in 6 and negative by both methods--in 4 subjects. The echographic examination on pleura is a rapid, cheap and harmless method, contributing not only to the early detection of its asbestosis lesions but to the elucidation of the etiology of pulmonary fibrosis.