Published 29 September 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b3953
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b3953

Letters

Asbestos and the lung

Diffuse pleural thickening has new definition for claims

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Currie and colleagues define diffuse pleural thickening in a chest radiograph as "a smooth continuous pleural density affecting 25% of the lateral chest wall, with or without blunting of the costophrenic angle."1

The definition was changed by the Department for Work and Pensions for the purposes of industrial injuries disability benefit for prescribed disease D9 in July 2005, and was passed by parliament in April 2006. It is currently "unilateral or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening with obliteration of the costophrenic angle."2 Previously it was pleural thickening (of 5 mm or more in a standard chest radiograph) covering 25% or more of the combined area of the chest wall of both lungs if bilateral, or 50% or more if unilateral.2

Although computed tomography may be used to further substantiate a claim, compensation is usually awarded on the basis of standard chest radiography alone and the extent of respiratory disability. The rules . . . [Full text of this article]

Jennifer L Hoyle, consultant physician1, Jonathan K R Walker, respiratory registrar1

1 North Manchester General Hospital, Manchester M8 5RB

jennifer.hoyle@pat.nhs.uk


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