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BMJ Case Reports 2009; doi:10.1136/bcr.08.2008.0644
  • Rare disease

Retroperitoneal and pleural fibrosis in an insulator working in power plants

  1. Toomas Uibu1,2,
  2. Matti Jäntti1,
  3. Ritva Järvenpää1,
  4. Panu Oksa3,
  5. Antti Tossavainen3,
  6. Esa Vanhala3,
  7. Pekka Roto4
  1. 1
    Tampere University Hospital, Respiratory Medicine, PO Box 2000, 33521, Tampere, Finland
  2. 2
    Ihoakatemia, Mannerheimintie 5 C, Helsinki, 00100, Finland
  3. 3
    Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkat 41 a A, Helsinki, 00250, Finland
  4. 4
    Finnish Health Centers LTD, Ratapihantie 11, Helsinki, 00250, Finland
  1. Toomas Uibu, toomas.uibu{at}saunalahti.fi
  • Published 6 March 2009

Summary

We describe a case history of a former insulator who developed concomitant retroperitoneal and pleural fibrosis. In his work, the patient had been exposed on a daily basis to asbestos dust while demolishing and installing pipeline insulations. The heavy asbestos exposure was confirmed by a high level of asbestos content in his autopsy lung sample. We propose that both retroperitoneal fibrosis and diffuse pleural thickening were induced in our patient by an abundant amount of amphibole asbestos fibres found in his lung and retroperitoneal tissues.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: none.

  • Patient consent: Patient/guardian consent was obtained for publication.

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