Professional paper

Incidence of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in Split-Dalmatia Country

Slavica Cvitanović ; Klinika za plućne bolesti Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Splitu, KBC Split
Željko Ivančević ; Klinika za plućne bolesti Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Splitu, KBC Split
Vesna Čapkun ; Klinika za plućne bolesti Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Splitu, KBC Split
Gordana Tenžera-Taslak ; Klinika za plućne bolesti Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Splitu, KBC Split

Abstract

Between 2001 and 2005, 1150 patients with respiratory symptoms were admitted to our Pneumology Clinic
whose workplace or residence could involve exposure to asbestos One hundred and twenty (10.4 %) patients
were confi rmed a disease of the lung and/or pleura which could have been asbestos-related. A follow-up
of these patients showed that 52 of 120 (43.3 %) developed malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), but
it was also found in 12 of 1030 (1.1 %) patients without an asbestos-related disease. Of the 64 patients
with MPM, 54 (84.3 %) were men and 10 (15.6 %) women. Fifty-two (81.2 %) were professionally or
residentially exposed to asbestos. The incidence of mesothelioma for the Split-Dalmatia County between
2001 and 2005 was 13.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, while in the whole of Croatia it was 3.9. Mean annual
incidence in the Split-Dalmatia County was 2.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, and in the whole of Croatia 0.8.
This means that 22.7 % of all patients with MPM in Croatia were from the Split-Dalmatia County (whose
population is about 10.5 % of Croatia’s). This distribution of MPM may be related to the strong shipbuilding
industry and other asbestos-related industries in this part of the country.

Keywords

asbestos; asbestosis; environment; mesothelioma; occupational exposure

Hrčak ID:

42182

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/42182

Publication date:

2.11.2009.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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