PURPOSE: To evaluate the preliminary results of low-dose helical chest CT in a group of individuals with an occupational exposure to asbestos. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 2000 and May 2004, 1,512 asymptomatic subjects, selected by Occupational Health physicians of the Veneto Region among those with a significant exposure to asbestos, underwent low-dose helical chest CT without contrast media administration. According to their features, all pulmonary nodules identified underwent pathology, further CT evaluation or follow-up with low-dose CT. RESULTS: Apart from benign pleural findings (in 40% of subjects), 590 pulmonary nodules were identified. Eleven nodules underwent pathologic examination, which detected 5 malignant lesions, and 51 were evaluated with other CT techniques, in all cases demonstrating benign features. In follow-up low-dose CT scans, performed in the remaining 528 nodules, a minimal increase in size occurred in 4 cases only. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for clinically relevant pulmonary lesions in asymptomatic people with occupational exposure to asbestos may be useful if rigorous enrollment criteria are adopted. The management of abnormal findings is cost-effective if it is based on the morphological features of each finding.

Low-dose helical chest CT in asbestos-exposed workers in the Veneto Region: preliminary results.

POZZI MUCELLI, Roberto
2005-01-01

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the preliminary results of low-dose helical chest CT in a group of individuals with an occupational exposure to asbestos. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 2000 and May 2004, 1,512 asymptomatic subjects, selected by Occupational Health physicians of the Veneto Region among those with a significant exposure to asbestos, underwent low-dose helical chest CT without contrast media administration. According to their features, all pulmonary nodules identified underwent pathology, further CT evaluation or follow-up with low-dose CT. RESULTS: Apart from benign pleural findings (in 40% of subjects), 590 pulmonary nodules were identified. Eleven nodules underwent pathologic examination, which detected 5 malignant lesions, and 51 were evaluated with other CT techniques, in all cases demonstrating benign features. In follow-up low-dose CT scans, performed in the remaining 528 nodules, a minimal increase in size occurred in 4 cases only. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for clinically relevant pulmonary lesions in asymptomatic people with occupational exposure to asbestos may be useful if rigorous enrollment criteria are adopted. The management of abnormal findings is cost-effective if it is based on the morphological features of each finding.
2005
Chest; ow-dose helical CT; asbestos
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11562/28421
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