A 68-year-old retired shipyard worker has HRCT showing bilateral subpleural lines, curvilinear opacities and patchy basal fibrosis with rounded atelectatic bands. Calcified pleural plaques line both hemidiaphragms. How long after first asbestos exposure do such parenchymal changes typically become evident?
- A 1 to 3 years
- B 20 to 30 years ✓
- C 5 to 10 years
- D They appear only after mesothelioma develops
Correct answer: B. 20 to 30 years
Explanation
Asbestosis requires a long latent period, conventionally 20 to 30 years or more from first exposure before parenchymal fibrosis appears. Pleural plaques, the commonest manifestation, also take decades and indicate exposure rather than disease. Short latencies of 1 to 10 years exclude asbestosis and should prompt consideration of other causes of basal fibrosis. Mesothelioma is a separate complication and is not a prerequisite for asbestosis.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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