Respiratory - Pleural Plaques

What are pleural plaques?

This is an area of thickening of the lining of the lung and your chest wall (pleura). The plaques themselves are harmless and as such do not cause any symptoms.

What do they represent?

In most cases they mean you have been exposed to asbestos in either your work or occasionally in your home at some time in the past. On average, the plaques appear on imaging (chest x-ray on CT scan) about 20-50 years after a person has first been exposed to asbestos.

What do they mean in relation to my health?

The plaques are not, in themselves, of any significance but they suggest that a person has been exposed to asbestos and may be at risk of other asbestos-related lung diseases such as mesothelioma (a tumour of the lining of the lungs) or asbestosis (a type of scarring/fibrosis of the lungs that makes them more stiff) or occasionally lung cancer (especially in smokers).

What is the risk of developing more serious lung disease with asbestos exposure/pleural plaques?

Although these diseases can be serious, the risk of getting them is small. Asbestosis is very uncommon these days due to improved working conditions in recent years.

The main risk for lung cancer is cigarette smoking and many experts believe the risk of lung cancer is only slightly higher in those with pleural plaques but no evidence of asbestosis.

If you smoke, the lifetime risk of lung cancer is around 1 in 5, and this may increase to around 1 in 4 if you also have pleural plaques. The risk is much reduced in non-smokers.

The risk of mesothelioma is very low. It ranges from about 0.5 to 2 cases per 1000 people with pleural plaques per year. A typical person with pleural plaques over the age of 55 years would have a lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma of around 1-4%. In other words, the chances of not getting mesothelioma over their lifetime would be 96-99%.

Can I claim compensation?

The Government does not make any Industrial Diseases payments for pleural plaques unless there is also evidence of another asbestos-related lung disease such as asbestos or mesothelioma.

It was possible to make a civil claim for pleural plaques in the past. However, the House of Lords judged in 2007 that pleural plaques are not a disease as such and cannot be subject to a legal claim unless another asbestos-related condition is also present.

If you need further information, we have got leaflets from the Greater Manchester Asbestos Victims Support Group (GMAVSG) available in clinic. Alternatively, you can contact them or a solicitor for confidential advice. GMAVSG can also provide you with a list of specialist solicitors which have expertise in this area of the law.

Further Information

Greater Manchester Asbestos Victim Support Group:
Website: www.gmavsg.org
Tel - 0161 258 0166

Asthma+Lung UK
Website: www.asthmaandlung.org.uk

NHS online
Website: www.nhs.uk