TY - JOUR T1 - Spirometric findings in asbestos-exposed subjects with pleural plaques missed by chest radiography but detected by HRCT JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - P4014 AU - Ericson Bagatin AU - Mario Terra-Filho AU - Lara Maris Nápolis AU - José Alberto Neder AU - Gustavo de Souza Portes Meirelles AU - Reynaldo Tavares Rodrigues AU - Luiz Eduardo Nery Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P4014.abstract N2 - Introduction: High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is recognizably more sensitive than chest X-ray (CXR) in detecting small-to-moderately large pleural plaques (PP) in asbestos-exposed subjects. Objectives: We reasoned that if the PP missed on CXR are associated with decreased lung function, this would lend support to a wider use of HRCT in these subjects. Methods: HRCT and spirometry were obtained in 1075 miners and millers who have been exposed to progressively lower airborne concentrations of asbestos over time (Groups I to III) and were free of PP or asbestosis on CXR. Results: We found that 100/1075 (9.3%) of the subjects had PP only on HRCT 44/90 (48.8%) in Group I, 44/537 (8.2%) in Group II and 12/448 (2.7%) in Group III. As shown in the Table, subjects with PP on HRCT but not CXR had consistently lower spirometric values than those deemed as normal by both methods (p<0.05). Similar results were obtained after adjusting for smoking status.View this table:Conclusions: We conclude that the lack of sensitivity of CXR in detecting PP in asbestos-exposed subjects is a matter of concern, as subjects with these abnormalities only on HRCT had decreased lung function values. This seems of special relevance among more exposed subjects. ER -