Asbestos-related diseases are disorders of the lung and pleura caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibres.

People who worked in jobs with high asbestos dust exposure are at the highest risk of developing asbestos-related disease.

The weathering and aging of such buildings may cause asbestos fragments to be released in the air and create a potential hazard.

Anyone who disturbs the asbestos-containing material during home maintenance and renovation can be affected,[1] although the exact risks are difficult to quantify.

Amphibole fibers are not cleared as effectively as serpentines and therefore accumulate more readily in the distal lung parenchyma.

They consist of mature collagen fibers arranged in an open basket-weave pattern and are covered by flattened or cuboidal mesothelial cells.

[5] They have a white or pale yellow shaggy appearance and are typically distributed on the posterolateral chest wall, diaphragm, and mediastinal pleura.

An association between pleural plaques and chest pain has been reported,[7] but this has not been confirmed in more recent studies.

[8] Similarly, an association between pleural plaques and a restrictive impairment with diminished diffusing capacity on pulmonary function testing has been described.

The most likely explanation is that asbestos fibres reach the parietal pleura by passage through lymphatic channels where they excite an inflammatory reaction.

Pleural plaques are evidence of past asbestos exposure and indicate an increased risk for the future development of other asbestos-related diseases.

[5] Fibrous strands ("crow's feet") extending from the thickened pleura into the lung parenchyma can be often detected on CT scan.

[14] CT scanning is more sensitive than chest radiography and can detect early pleural thickening (i.e. 1-2mm in thickness).

The scar tissue causes the alveolar walls to thicken, reducing the lung capacity which leads to the patient experiencing shortness of breath (dyspnea).

Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive and incurable tumour caused by asbestos arising from mesothelial cells of the pleura, peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) and rarely elsewhere.

The symptoms include shortness of breath, chronic chest pain, cough, and weight loss.

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult and can include physical examination, chest X-ray and lung function tests, followed by CT scan and MRI.

Several tumour biomarkers (soluble mesothelin-related protein (SMRP),[17] osteopontin[18] and fibulin3[19]) have been evaluated for diagnostic purposes to allow early detection of this disease.

[22] This understanding paralleled the growth of the Industrial Revolution, particularly in the textile factories and mines of Great Britain.

This body of knowledge is frequently referred to in litigation as the state of the art or the benchmark for determining if a company acted within the bounds of negligent behavior.