Diffuse pleural thickening due to asbestos exposure

This condition develops when asbestos fibers on the outer lining of the lungs gradually cause tissue scarring, which eventually leads to the thickening of the pleura. While pleural plaques concern a small region of the lungs affected by tissue thickening, diffuse pleural thickening entails the scarring of a larger surface of the pleura.

Diffuse pleural thickening may be a forerunner of lung cancer and mesothelioma, two asbestos-related cancers for which you are entitled to financial compensation from the asbestos trust funds and the VA.

With a diffuse pleural thickening diagnosis alone, you are not eligible for compensation. But given the fact that the rate of misdiagnosis is high, and the cancer risk is high with asbestos exposure, we strongly recommend you get a second and even third opinion outside the VA. If you are diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer, you become eligible to file a claim and obtain financial compensation.

Up to 13% of individuals exposed to asbestos in the workplace will develop pleural thickening

Unlike pleural plaques, diffuse pleural thickening is often accompanied by distressing symptoms, the most common being shortness of breath, which is experienced by over 95% of the patients. In the majority of cases, diffuse pleural thickening is the result of past asbestos exposure, and the condition appears within 3 to 34 years after the first contact with airborne fibers. Although this lung condition is not malignant, it often develops into mesothelioma, particularly if the individual has a long history of asbestos exposure.

Initially, diffuse pleural thickening does not cause any distress to the patient, but as the illness progresses, they will start experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:

  • chest tightness
  • shortness of breath
  • chest pain
  • difficulty breathing
  • a persistent cough
  • reduced movement of the chest wall


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