Foods that have roughly the same number of calories from fats, calories, and protein will be found closer to the center of the pyramid. Read more about the Caloric Ratio Pyramid. Caloric Ratio Pyramid for Grapefruit, raw, pink and red, all areas. This feature requires Flash player to be installed in your browser.
Causes of Pleural Thickening. Pleural thickening is a condition of the lungs that is most often caused by the long term exposure and inhalation of asbestos particles which then settle on the pleura, or pleural membrane (the thin area surrounding the lungs) causing the area to thicken, calcify and/or scar.
And on a microscopic level, pleural plaques appear as collagen bundles resembling a basket weave. Pleural Plaque, Asbestosis and Mesothelioma. Like pleural thickening, pleural plaque is benign (non-cancerous), cannot become malignant and is not necessarily a sign of an asbestos lung disease. However, many people who develop pleural plaques also develop pleural effusion, asbestosis, malignant mesothelioma and other conditions associated with asbestos inhalation.