Asbestos exposure and upper lobe involvement.

In a study of 1,251 persons with asbestos-related pleural and parenchymal changes, 16 had slowly progressive changes of the upper lobes, involving both pleura and parenchyma, with shrinkage of the lobes. In addition there were 41 cases with less advanced apical changes. Tuberculosis and other possible causes were excluded. It is hypothesized that the changes rate due to asbestos disease.