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ABSTRACT
Before its use was banned in developed countries, asbestos was widely applied in upholstery. However, the risk of asbestos diseases among upholsterers has only rarely been reported. In this case series, we present a first series of 6 workers employed in small workshops who developed several asbestos-related diseases, including pleural plaques, pleural fibrosis, and asbestosis. Exposures were intermittent and difficult to quantify, but lung asbestos content assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage was high in the 3 patients evaluated. In conclusion, upholstery work should be considered an at-risk occupation for developing asbestos-related diseases during the 20th century.
Funding
This study was supported by Fundació Catalana de Pneumologia (FUCAP) and Sociedad Española de Patología Respiratoria (SEPAR). MJC is supported by the Miguel Servet research program of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CP12/03101).