Ryu Jay H, Olson Eric J, Midthun David E, Swensen Stephen J
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn 55905, USA.
Mayo Clin Proc. 2002 Nov;77(11):1221-7; quiz 1227. doi: 10.4065/77.11.1221.
Detecting diffuse lung infiltrates on chest radiography is a common clinical problem. Many diverse pathological processes can cause diffuse lung disease. The presentation of these diseases can vary from acute to chronic and includes a side array of radiological patterns that are optimally evaluated on high-resolution computed tomography of the chest. In diagnosing diffuse lung disease, it is helpful to focus on a few pivotal parameters to narrow the broad differential diagnosis. We describe the diagnostic approach to a patient with diffuse lung disease usingthe following key parameters: tempo of the pathological process, characteristics of the radiological pattern, and clinical context.
