Asbestosis

Overview 
Theory 
Diagnosis 
Management 
Follow up 
Resources 

Last reviewed: 13 Sep 2025

Last updated: 02 Sep 2025

Asbestosis onset occurs ≥10 years following the initial exposure to asbestos.

Patients may be asymptomatic or have progressive shortness of breath.

A chest radiograph is the preferred initial test.

There is no definitive treatment.

Cigarette smoking cessation is important to reduce risk of lung cancer.

Prognosis is related to extent of fibrosis noted at diagnosis and past cumulative exposure to asbestos.

Definição

Asbestosis is a type of pneumoconiosis that presents as diffuse interstitial fibrosis of the lung following exposure to asbestos fibers.[1][2] Pleural abnormalities, which are also caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers, include plaques that may or may not be calcified, diffuse pleural thickening, benign pleural effusions or rounded atelectasis. These pleural abnormalities may occur either in concordance with or in the absence of parenchymal fibrosis.[1]

História e exame físico

Principais fatores diagnósticos

occupational exposure
longer duration of exposure
smoking history

Detalhes completos

Outros fatores diagnósticos

dyspnea on exertion
cough
crackles
indirect exposure
chest pain
clubbing

Detalhes completos

Fatores de risco

cumulative dose of inhaled asbestos
cigarette smoking

Detalhes completos

Investigações diagnósticas

Primeiras investigações a serem solicitadas

chest x-ray: posterior-anterior (PA) and lateral
pulmonary function tests

Detalhes completos

Investigações a serem consideradas

high-resolution CT chest
lung biopsy
bronchial lavage

Detalhes completos

Algoritmo de tratamento

CONTÍNUA

all patients

Colaboradores

Autores

Kenneth D. Rosenman, MD

Professor of Medicine

Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Michigan State University

East Lansing

Declarações

KDR declares that he has no competing interests. KDR is the author of an article cited in this topic.

Revisores

Henry A. Anderson, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Wisconsin Division of Public Health

Madison

Declarações

HAA declares that he has no competing interests.

Keir Lewis, MD

Senior Clinical Lecturer

Institute of Life Sciences

Swansea University

Swansea

Declarações

KL declares that he has no competing interests.

Thomasz J. Kuzniar, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Evanston Northwestern Healthcare

Evanston

Declarações

TJK declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

Referências

Nossas equipes internas de editoria e de evidências trabalham em conjunto com colaboradores internacionais especializados e pares revisores para garantir que forneçamos acesso às informações o mais clinicamente relevantes possível.

Principais artigos

American Thoracic Society. Diagnosis and initial management of nonmalignant diseases related to asbestos. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004 Sep 15;170(6):691-715.Texto completo Resumo

Wolff H, Vehmas T, Oksa P, et al. Asbestos, asbestosis, and cancer, the Helsinki criteria for diagnosis and attribution 2014: recommendations. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2015 Jan;41(1):5-15.Texto completo Resumo

Markowitz SB, Levin SM, Miller A, et al. Asbestos, asbestosis, smoking, and lung cancer. New findings from the North American insulator cohort. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013 Jul 1;188(1):90-6. Resumo

Banks DE, Shi R, McLarty J, et al. American College of Chest Physicians consensus statement on the respiratory health effects of asbestos. Results of a Delphi study. Chest. 2017 Sep 18;4(1):e000223.Texto completo Resumo

Artigos de referência

Uma lista completa das fontes referenciadas neste tópico está disponível para os usuários com acesso total ao BMJ Best Practice.

Diagnósticos diferenciais
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Connective tissue disease
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP)
Mais Diagnósticos diferenciais
Diretrizes
- Consensus report: asbestos, asbestosis and cancer: the Helsinki criteria for diagnosis and attribution 2014
- Diagnosis and initial management of nonmalignant diseases related to asbestos
Mais Diretrizes
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Asbestosis

Summary

Definição

História e exame físico

Principais fatores diagnósticos

Outros fatores diagnósticos

Fatores de risco

Investigações diagnósticas

Primeiras investigações a serem solicitadas

Investigações a serem consideradas

Algoritmo de tratamento

all patients

Colaboradores

Autores

Kenneth D. Rosenman, MD

Declarações

Revisores

Henry A. Anderson, MD

Declarações

Keir Lewis, MD

Declarações

Thomasz J. Kuzniar, MD, PhD

Declarações

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

Disclosures

Referências

Principais artigos

Artigos de referência

Uma lista completa das fontes referenciadas neste tópico está disponível para os usuários com acesso total ao BMJ Best Practice.

Diagnósticos diferenciais

Diretrizes

Conectar-se ou assinar para acessar todo o BMJ Best Practice

Conectar-se ou assinar para acessar todo o BMJ Best Practice

Conectar-se para acessar todo o BMJ Best Practice