Differential diagnosis of asbestos-induced pleural thickening using computer tomography: a preliminary study.

: The usefulness of CT was investigated in differentiating pleural plaques from extrapleural fat-induced shadows resembling pleural plaques. The study revealed that CT is sensitive enough to distinguish between the two, which are similar in conventional radiographic morphology and different in nature. By continuing these studies we hope to establish a criterion for distinguishing extrapleural fat on conventional radiographs.