Amphibole fibers
Summary
Amphibole fibers (crocidolite, amosite) are the straight, needle-like form of asbestos that is far more pathogenic than the curly serpentine (chrysotile) fibers. They are strongly linked to malignant mesothelioma and bronchogenic carcinoma.
Detail
Asbestos comes in two structural classes: serpentine (chrysotile, curly, ~90% of commercial asbestos, mostly cleared from the lung) and amphibole (crocidolite 'blue asbestos', amosite, tremolite, straight and rigid, poorly cleared). Amphiboles deposit in distal airways and pleura, are coated by iron and protein to form ferruginous bodies (golden-brown, dumbbell-shaped on Prussian blue stain), and produce ivory-white pleural plaques on the parietal pleura and diaphragm. They cause asbestosis (lower-lobe-predominant interstitial fibrosis), bronchogenic carcinoma (the most common asbestos-related malignancy, synergistic with smoking), and malignant mesothelioma (pathognomonic association even without smoking; latency 25–40 years). Occupational exposures: shipbuilding, plumbing, insulation, roofing.
Sources
- Robbins Basic Pathology 10th ed
- First Aid for USMLE Step 1 2024
- Pathoma
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