1986 Guidelines |
Chest film (irregular opacities) |
Pathology (College of American Pathologists) |
Consistent time interval |
Occupational and environmental history |
Asbestos bodies or fibers |
|
2004 Guidelines |
Evidence of structural change, as demonstrated by one or more of the following: |
Imaging methods |
Histology (College of American Pathologists) |
Evidence of plausible causation, as demonstrated by one or more of the following: |
Occupational and environmental history of exposure (with plausible latency) |
Markers of exposure (eg, plaques) |
Recovery of asbestos bodies in lung tissue |
|
Comparison and notes |
Demonstrates the existence of a structural lesion consistent with the effects of asbestos. The criteria outlined in the 1986 were most explicit for asbestosis. |
Chest film, HRCT, and possibly future methods based on imaging. The 1986 guidelines specified ILO classification 1/1. |
Criteria for identifying asbestosis on microscopic examination of tissue are unchanged. |
Evidence of plausible causation implies that the temporal relationship, including latency, is plausible. |
The 2004 guidelines are not limited to lung tissue, consider the role of BAL to be established, and deemphasize fibers because they are difficult to detect and a systematic analysis for asbestos fibers is not generally available. |
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