Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals exploited commercially for their desirable physical properties, particularly their resistance to heat and burning. They all form thin elongated fibrous crystals, and can be manufactured into many forms. Asbestos can be divided into two large groups:
- serpentine : wave-like inshape
- amphibole : needle-like in shape
- crocidolite (blue asbestos)
It is the amphiboles that are responsible for the majority of asbestos related diseases 3.
Inhaled asbestos particles lodge in the lung and can penetrate to the pleura and even peritoneum. In the lung parenchyma the needle-like asbestos fibres illicit a chronic low level inflammatory reaction with neutrophils and macrophages releasing compounds that damage lung parenchyma and eventually lead to asbestosis 3.
- 1. Kim KI, Kim CW, Lee MK et-al. Imaging of occupational lung disease. Radiographics. 21 (6): 1371-91. Radiographics (full text) - Pubmed citation
- 2. Asbestos from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Asbestos
- 3. Roach HD, Davies GJ, Attanoos R et-al. Asbestos: when the dust settles an imaging review of asbestos-related disease. Radiographics. 2002;22 Spec No : S167-84. Radiographics (link) - Pubmed citation