Computed tomography abnormalities antedating mesothelioma diagnosis: a perspective on the natural history

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive and fatal disease that typically presents with breathlessness, chest pain or both [1] and is usually a unilateral disease but 3% of patients have malignant disease bilaterally at presentation [2]. The latency period between exposure to asbestos and MPM development is between 20–40 years. Footnotes This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal . It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article. Conflict of interest: Dr. Hassan has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Tsikrika has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Asciak has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Mercer has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. El-Ganady has nothing to disclose.