Mazzei Maria Antonietta, Contorni Francesco, Gentili Francesco, Guerrini Susanna, Mazzei Francesco Giuseppe, Pinto Antonio, Cioffi Squitieri Nevada, Sisinni Antonietta Gerardina, Paolucci Valentina, Romeo Riccardo, Sartorelli Pietro, Volterrani Luca
Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Unit of Diagnostic Imaging, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Italian College of Ethics and Forensic Radiology, Italian Society of Medical Radiology (SIRM), Milan, Italy.
Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:6797826. doi: 10.1155/2017/6797826. Epub 2017 Jun 5.
Pleural plaques (PPs) may be a risk factor for mortality from lung cancer in asbestos-exposed workers and are considered to be a marker of exposure. Diagnosing PPs is also important because asbestos-exposed patients should be offered a health surveillance that is mandatory in many countries. On the other hand PPs are useful for compensation purposes. In this study we aimed to evaluate the prevalence, as incidental findings, and the underreporting rate of PPs in chest CT scans (CTs) performed in a cohort of patients (1512) who underwent chest CT with a slice thickness no more than 1.25 mm. PPs were found in 76 out of 1482 patients (5.1%); in 13 out of 76 (17,1%) CTs were performed because of clinical suspicion of asbestos exposure and 5 of them (38%) were underreported by radiologist. In the remaining 63 cases (82.9%) there was no clinical suspicion of asbestos exposure at the time of CTs (incidental findings) and in 38 of these 63 patients (60.3%) PPs were underreported. Reaching a correct diagnosis of PPs requires a good knowledge of normal locoregional anatomy and rigorous technical approach in chest CT execution. However the job history of the patient should always be kept in mind.
胸膜斑（PPs）可能是石棉暴露工人肺癌死亡的一个危险因素，并且被认为是暴露的一个标志物。诊断PPs也很重要，因为石棉暴露患者应接受健康监测，这在许多国家是强制性的。另一方面，PPs对赔偿目的很有用。在本研究中，我们旨在评估在一组（1512名）接受层厚不超过1.25毫米胸部CT扫描（CT）的患者中，PPs作为偶然发现的患病率以及漏报率。在1482名患者中有76名（5.1%）发现了PPs；在76名患者中的13名（17.1%）是因为临床怀疑石棉暴露而进行的CT检查，其中5名（38%）被放射科医生漏报。在其余63例（82.9%）中，CT检查时没有临床怀疑石棉暴露（偶然发现），在这63名患者中的38名（60.3%）PPs被漏报。要正确诊断PPs，需要对正常局部解剖结构有充分了解，并在胸部CT检查时采用严谨的技术方法。然而，患者的工作史应始终牢记在心。
