Respiratory Diseases
Bilateral Defuse Thickening
Bilateral defuse thickening is a condition that restricts the ability of the lungs to expand resulting in shortness of breath and may develop even after short exposure to asbestos and again it is a prescribed disease. If lung cancer develops bilateral defuse thickening is considered attributable to the asbestos exposure for the purpose of industrial injury benefit.
Pleural Plaque
Pleural plaque is not cancer, and it does not cause cancer. It takes at least seven years to develop after asbestos exposure. It is quite common, generally causes no symptoms and generally requires no treatment. It may cause a dull pain or, in rare cases, make you short of breath.
A plaque is a thickened patch, known as ‘fibrosis’, on the pleura. The pleura is the two layers of membrane that line the chest wall and cover the lungs.
While pleural plaque shows that you may have been exposed to asbestos, pleural thickening can also be caused by a lung infection.
If you have pleural plaque, it is important that you stop smoking. You need to see your doctor for regular check-ups and have a chest x-ray every three to five years. You may also need to have a lung function test.
Following a decision in the Court of Appeal, a claim for negligence would be unsuccessful in respect of pleural plaques; as, although they are evidence of exposure to asbestos, they are not evidence, in themselves, of there being more substantial damage in the future.
