HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) represents an immune reaction to inhaled organic antigens. The possible sources of these antigens are diverse and include microbes, animals, plant material, and various chemicals….
Vascular diseases of the lung may affect arteries, veins, and/or capillaries. They are primarily evaluated using modalities such as echocardiography, contrast-enhanced CT, or conventional angiography, but in selected cases, HRCT…
Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) may be associated with a variety of lung abnormalities. Most patients with CTD have extra-pulmonary manifestations but in some cases, lung abnormalities are seen in isolation…
Focal or regional areas of decreased lung attenuation (i.e., increased lung lucency) can have a variety of causes and HRCT appearances. These include lung destruction due to emphysema, decreased lung…
PULMONARY ALVEOLAR PROTEINOSIS Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disorder characterized pathologically by the accumulation of lipoprotein within alveoli. There are three different forms of the disease. Congenital PAP…
Cigarette smoking is well known for its association with lung cancer, but diffuse lung disease is also an established cause of smoking-related morbidity. There are a variety of different manifestations…
PULMONARY EDEMA Fluid accumulation in the lungs may be the result of changes in pulmonary venous hydrostatic pressure, increased permeability of capillary endothelium, or a combination of these two. The…
High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is widely used in the evaluation of a variety of diffuse lung diseases. The goal of this introductory chapter is to discuss the basics of HRCT,…
