The clinical diagnosis of asbestosis is primarily based on chest radiographic evidence of pleural thickening and interstitial fibrosis combined with a history of exposure to asbestos. We report herein the case of a 65-year-old man with asbestosis pathologically diagnosed after surgical lung biopsy. He had a work history including farming, cementing, and casting and was admitted with dyspnea. Chest computed tomography revealed multiple well-defined nodules in both lungs and a 4.1 cm peribronchial consolidation with fibrotic changes in the right lower lobe. We suspected metastatic lung cancer and video-assisted thoracoscopic biopsy was performed in the lung lesion of the right lower lobe. Asbestosis was confirmed following histological examination. The patient is currently completing outpatient visits without significant changes.
Keywords: asbestos; asbestosis; lung cancer; lung nodules.