Chest Imaging

Diffuse lung disease

nonspecific term used to refer to any acute or chronic disease that results in widespread or generalized lung involvement. Diffuse lung diseases can reflect the presence of interstitial or airspace abnormalities. Causes include chronic diffuse infiltrative lung disease, primary and metastatic neoplasms (e.g. bronchioalveolar cell carcinomatosis, lymphangitic carcinomatosis), pneumonia of various causes, endobronchial or haematogenous spread of tuberculosis or other mycobacteria, hydrostatic or permeability pulmonary oedema, and the adult respiratory distress syndrome. In patients with acute diffuse lung disease, plain radiographs are often the mainstay of radiological evaluation, and can show interstitial or air-space abnormalities, depending on the disease present. HRCT is often employed for diagnosis when clinical and plain radiographic findings are insufficient for patient management.

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