Radiographic change over 11 years in a patient with asbestos-related pleural disease.

Asbestos-related pulmonary conditions such as benign asbestos pleural effusion (BAPE) and diffuse pleural thickening (DPT) can develop after many years of asbestos exposure. These conditions cause progressing constrictive deficit in pulmonary function which may lead to respiratory failure and death. We report the case of a 72-year-old man with asbestos-related BAPE and DPT which developed approximately 40 years after occupational asbestos exposure, leading to chronic respiratory failure and death.