Around thirty years ago, during the antituberculosis campaign, it was noted that many inhabitants of Metsovo area in Northwest Greece had extensive pleural calcifications. This was considered then, a result of previous tuberculosis infection and was no further investigated. For many reasons, we could not agree with this and started research on the subject in 1981. Our results so far have shown that the majority of the adult population of Metsovo has pleural calcifications and that there is a very high incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma in this area. Both, the calcifications and the mesothelioma, are the result of asbestos exposure from a tremolite-containing whitewash used until 1950-1960 in the area. This phenomenon is not confined in the Metsovo area. We have so far identified 7 more areas in Greece within the Pindos serpentine zone.
Από τριακονταετίας είχε παρατηρηθεί ότι πολλοί
κάτοικοι της βορειοδυτικής Ελλάδας παρουσιάζουν μεγάλα ποσοστά υπεζωκοτικών αποτιτανώσεων στα οποία όμως δεν είχε δωθεί ιδιαίτερη προσοχή. Εξετάζεται το ενδεχόμενο τα περιστατικά αυτά να οφείλονται σε έκθεση του πληθυσμού σε άσβεστο ή αμίαντο.
