What are asbestos pleural plaques and diffuse pleural thickening?

Benign consequence of exposure, plaques in areas of thickening pleura, with linear, band like or nodular appearance Composed of collagen deposits (parietal pleura), screened with low dose CT. Involve parietal pleura close to ribs, intercostal space and rarely visceral pleura, mostly sixth-ninth ribs along diaphragm and typically bilateral