What occupational lung disease is associated with pleural plaques and increased risk of mesothelioma and bronchogenic carcinoma?

• A. Asbestosis
• B. Silicosis
• C. Coal worker's pneumoconiosis
• D. Berylliosis

Answer: (A)

Asbestos exposure is the key factor here. Inhaled asbestos fibers cause not only interstitial fibrosis (asbestosis) but also pleural changes, including pleural plaques. These plaques are fibrous deposits on the parietal pleura and serve as a telltale sign of prior asbestos exposure. More importantly, asbestos exposure markedly increases the risk of two cancers: mesothelioma, a cancer of the pleural lining, and bronchogenic carcinoma. While asbestosis describes the fibrotic lung disease from asbestos, the distinctive association with pleural plaques and these cancer risks points to asbestos-related pathology. Other pneumoconioses—silicosis, coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, and berylliosis—have different radiographic patterns and cancer associations and do not feature pleural plaques in the same way.