Introduction Collagen vascular diseases (CVDs) are a heterogeneous group of immunologically mediated inflammatory disorders that may involve various organs. They often affect the lungs, mediastinum, and pleura, but the frequency of pulmonary involvement varies according to the specific disease. Additionally,…
Introduction Eosinophilic lung diseases are characterized by the presence of pulmonary opacities and peripheral blood eosinophilia, tissue eosinophilia, or both. Eosinophils are leukocytes that are involved in immune defense and various inflammatory processes. They decrease hypersensitivity reactions by reducing the…
Introduction Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an immunologically mediated lung disease that occurs in susceptible sensitized individuals following inhalational exposure to antigenic organic dust. As such, the antigenic material must be small enough to deposit in the bronchioles and penetrate the alveoli,…
Introduction In many ways, the challenges related to occupational and environmental lung disease imaging reflect the challenges for all of radiology. The best imaging interpretation relies heavily on the appropriate imaging selection for the particular indication and access to patient…
Introduction Interstitial lung disease (ILD) refers to a broad category of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases characterized by inflammation and/or fibrosis of the lungs. Patients invariably present with dyspnea of varying time course and severity. Patients are often hypoxemic, and pulmonary…
Introduction The deleterious effects of smoking tobacco have been established for decades and largely began with the 1964 Surgeon General's Report, which linked smoking to the development of bronchogenic carcinoma. Since then, smoking tobacco has been causally linked to diseases…
▪ Introduction Primary lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and accounts for more deaths than the next three malignancies combined—pancreatic, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer in men; breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer in women. In 2017, it…
▪ Introductory Considerations Diagnostic imaging is used in the detection of thoracic infections, identifying complications associated with infection, and differentiating noninfectious from infectious diseases. Chest radiography and computed tomography (CT) comprise the primary modalities used in diagnosis, with ultrasound, nuclear…
▪ Introduction Congenital lung disease in the adult patient is rare. However, some congenital lung diseases can cause clinical symptoms for which patients undergo imaging, or these diseases may be incidentally discovered on imaging performed for other reasons. Although encountering…
Air Space Disease Acute Consolidation Air space consolidation results when alveoli are filled with material that attenuates the x-ray beam more than the surrounding lung parenchyma. When encountered in the acute setting, air space consolidation on imaging has a differential…