[Asbestos-induced bronchopulmonary diseases].

Asbestos is a collective term for fibrous crystalline silicate minerals, which can be used to produce technically useful fibers. The various types of asbestos, such as chrysotile, crocidolite and amosite, may induce not only fibrotic changes in the pleura and lungs, but also carcinomas and mesotheliomas. The increasing industrial use of asbestos has led to a marked increase in bronchopulmonary diseases, which can be shown to be caused by occupational exposure to fine asbestos dust. In this overview, the pathological anatomy, differential diagnosis and occupational-medical assessment of the various conditions induced by asbestos are discussed.