Pneumoconiosis is the general term for lung disease caused by inhalation and deposition of mineral dust, with asbestosis more specifically being pneumoconiosis caused by asbestos inhalation. (See Etiology.)

The word asbestos is derived from Greek and means inextinguishable. The term refers to a group of naturally occurring, heat-resistant fibrous silicates, the fibers of which are long and thin (length-to-diameter ratio >3) and either curved or straight. The curved fibers make up serpentine asbestos (chrysotile is the prime example), and the straight fibers make up amphibole asbestos. (See Etiology and Workup.)

Pneumoconiosis 

Several different types of amphiboles (ie, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, actinolite, crocidolite) have been recognized. Chrysotile is by far the most common type of asbestos fiber produced in the world and accounts for virtually all asbestos used commercially in the United States.

The production and use of asbestos increased greatly between 1877 and 1967. In the 1930s and 1940s, scientists recognized a causal link between asbestos exposure and asbestosis. In the 1950s and 1960s, researchers established asbestos as a predisposing factor for bronchogenic carcinoma and malignant mesothelioma. (See Epidemiology and Prognosis.)