system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 57-year-old construction worker presents with gradually worsening shortness of breath for the past several months and left pleuritic chest pain for 2 weeks. He denies fever, cough, night sweats, wheezing, or smoking. He is recently diagnosed with hypertension and started amlodipine 10 days ago. He has been working in construction for the last 25 years and before that, he worked at a ship dry-dock for 15 years. Physical exam reveals bilateral crackles at the lung bases. Chest X-ray reveals bilateral infiltrates at the lung bases. Pulmonary function tests show a slightly increased FEV1/FVC ratio, but total lung volume is decreased. CT scan shows pleural scarring. What of the following conditions is the most likely explanation in this case?
assistant
Asbestosis