Pulmonary Manifestations of Systemic Diseases

Systemic diseases are characterized by typical manifestations in more than one organ system. The most common systemic diseases to affect the lungs include sarcoidosis, connective tissue disease, and vasculitis. Imaging, and in particular computed tomography, plays a key role in several respects including (1) formulating a diagnosis, (2) determining the pattern of injury present, and (3) the serial evaluation of patients with progressive or acute symptoms. The goal of this chapter is to describe the typical imaging features of systemic diseases that involve the lungs and to delineate the role of imaging in the multidisciplinary diagnosis of systemic disorders.