Mattson S B
Scand J Respir Dis. 1975;56(5):263-72.
Among 25 persons with monosymptomatic exudative pleurisy of unknown etiology there were 11 men who had been exposed to asbestos. Ten of them were investigated during an observation period of 4 to 8 years. The exudate was more or less sanguinolent, had a prolonged course and recurred on the same or opposite side in the majority of cases. Large numbers of eosinophilic cells were present in seven exudates. Clinical symptoms were very discrete. After the disappearance of the exudate, persisting pleural thickening was present in nine patients. Decortication was performed in four of these patients and signs of non-specific chronic pleurisy was found. Asbestos bodies were found in one case and suspected in another. No other etiological signs were observed in any of the 11 men during the period of observation. At the end of the period of observation, radiological signs of mild basal pulmonary fibrosis were found in one patient and signs suggestive of this were present in a further three patients. Six of the men were troubled by dyspnoea. Three of these had reduced physical working capacity owing to respiratory factors. It is concluded that asbestos should be suspected as the causative factor in monosymptomatic exudative pleurisy if other etiological factors can be excluded.
在25例病因不明的单症状渗出性胸膜炎患者中，有11名男性接触过石棉。其中10人在4至8年的观察期内接受了调查。渗出液或多或少呈血性，病程较长，大多数病例在同侧或对侧复发。7份渗出液中存在大量嗜酸性细胞。临床症状非常不明显。渗出液消失后，9例患者存在持续性胸膜增厚。其中4例患者接受了胸膜剥脱术，发现了非特异性慢性胸膜炎的体征。1例发现石棉小体，另1例疑似发现石棉小体。在观察期间，11名男性中任何一人均未观察到其他病因迹象。观察期结束时，1例患者发现轻度基底肺纤维化的放射学征象，另有3例患者存在提示该征象的表现。6名男性有呼吸困难问题。其中3人由于呼吸因素导致体力工作能力下降。得出的结论是，如果可以排除其他病因因素，则应怀疑石棉是单症状渗出性胸膜炎的致病因素。
