Fat Embolism Etiology, Prevalence, and Epidemiology The term fat embolism refers to the presence of globules of free fat within the pulmonary vasculature. Fat embolism is common among trauma patients, especially those with long bone or pelvic fractures. In the…
Etiology Chronic pulmonary thromboembolism is an uncommon entity resulting from an incomplete resolution of thrombi, leading to complex restructuring processes within pulmonary arteries. Extensive clinical experience from the literature suggests that failure of thromboembolic resolution after a single embolic event…
Etiology Pulmonary embolism (PE) refers to blood clot(s) within the pulmonary arterial system, usually caused by migration of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) from the lower extremities. Rarely, emboli are from other sources, such as the iliac veins, renal veins, inferior…
Etiology, Prevalence, and Epidemiology Takayasu arteritis, also known as pulseless disease or Martorell syndrome, is an idiopathic chronic granulomatous arteritis affecting medium and large arteries with a predilection for the aorta and its main branches. It is seen most commonly…
Etiology, Prevalence, and Epidemiology Behçet disease is an uncommon systemic disorder of unknown etiology characterized by vasculitis and the triad of recurrent ulcers of the oral and genital mucosa with relapsing uveitis. Vascular complications develop in 20% to 40% of…
Etiology, Prevalence, and Epidemiology Goodpasture syndrome, also known as anti–basement membrane antibody disease, is an autoimmune disorder characterized by repeated episodes of pulmonary hemorrhage, usually associated with glomerulonephritis and the presence of anti–glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibodies. Goodpasture syndrome is…
Etiology, Prevalence, and Epidemiology Pulmonary vasculitis is traditionally characterized by size of vessel involvement as defined by the Chapel Hill nomenclature. Within the small-vessel vasculitides, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis represents a diverse group of entities, and although the inciting…
Interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF) refers to the clinical entity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with features of autoimmunity but without overt connective tissue disease (CTD). IPAF was introduced in 2015 by an international consensus panel in…
Etiology Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a disease with certain features of polymyositis, scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Much of the evidence that MCTD is a distinct clinical entity stems from the identification of antiribonucleoprotein (anti-RNP) antibody, disease-specific human…
Etiology Sjögren's syndrome, or “sicca syndrome,” is a disorder of the immune system that is largely defined by its two most common symptoms—dry eyes and a dry mouth; these symptoms frequently accompany other autoimmune disorders. Distinction is usually made between…