Paraplegia due to massive asbestos-related pleural and mediastinal fibrosis.

A case of massive pleural and mediastinal fibrosis related to occupational exposure to asbestos is presented. The terminal illness was marked by the acute onset of paraplegia. Autopsy revealed occlusive lesions of upper intercostal arteries within sheets of dense fibrous tissue and an ischaemic myelopathy. The presence of vascular lesions suggests a relationship with idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis.