Misleading Diagnosis Methods May Pose Legal Problems : Study Questions Half of Asbestosis Cases

PHILADELPHIA — Temple University researchers have concluded that nearly half of all reported cases of asbestosis may have been incorrectly diagnosed, a finding that could pose wide-ranging legal complications.

Dr. Arnold Friedman, one of a team of physicians who conducted the study, said Sunday that methods currently used to detect asbestos-related diseases often produce misleading results.

“If you look at a chest X-ray you often don’t have a prayer of determining if an individual has emphysema or asbestosis,” said Friedman, who arrived at the conclusion after examining 60 men diagnosed as having asbestosis or asbestos-related pleural disease.

Use High-Resolution Images

After taking high-resolution images of the lungs with a process called computerized tomography, doctors discovered that only about half the patients actually were suffering from the disease for which they were diagnosed, he said.

Friedman said the study’s findings could have a major impact on lawsuits filed against companies by employees who were exposed to asbestos on the job.

“I don’t think people should be compensated for having asbestos-related diseases unless they have a CT,” or computerized tomography scan, he said.

Friedman also noted that an incorrect diagnosis can be “devastating” to a patient.

“People incorrectly diagnosed often believe they have the symptoms,” he said. “They become short of breath, quit their jobs and get depressed. They feel like they’re a walking time bomb.”

Linked to Disorders

Asbestos, a flame-resistant material commonly used in construction from the 1940s to the 1970s, has been linked to a variety of disorders, including asbestosis, severe scarring of the lung tissue, and pleural disease, the abnormal thickening of the lung lining.

Patients suffering from these disorders often develop mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer.

Friedman said doctors examining patients for possible asbestos-related ailments generally rely on simple chest X-rays, which produce relatively crude images that sometimes lead to incorrect diagnoses.

The preferred method would be to use computerized tomography, which allows doctors to see the lungs by themselves, without images of surrounding tissue and bone, Friedman said.