The Interstitial Lung Diseases

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The interstitial lung diseases are a heterogenous group of diseases grouped together because of common clinical, roentgenographic, physiologic, and pathologic features. 1 Fulmer JD Crystal RG Interstitial lung diseases. in: Simmons DE Current pulmonology. Houghton-Mifflin Publishers, Boston1979: 1-65 Google Scholar , 2 Weinberger SE Kelman JA Elson NA Young RC Reynolds HY Fulmer JD et al. Bronchoalveolar lavage in interstitial lung disease. Ann Intern Med. 1978; 89: 459-466 Crossref PubMed Scopus (151) Google Scholar , 3 Crystal RG Gadek JE Ferrans VJ Fulmer JD Line BR Hunninghake GW Interstitial lung disease: current concepts of pathogenesis, staging and therapy. Am J Med. 1981; 70: 54-67 Abstract Full Text PDF Scopus (344) Google Scholar , 4 Crystal RG Roberts WC Hunninghake GW Gadek JE Fulmer JD Line BR Pulmonary sarcoidosis: a disease characterized and perpetuated by activated lung T-lymphocytes. Ann Intern Med. 1981; 94: 73-94 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar Most patients present with insidious breathlessness and have a diffuse infiltrative pattern on chest roentgenogram (Fig 1A). Not uncommonly, an isolated reduction in carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (Dco) on routine pulmonary function testing is the first indication of underlying interstitial disease. The pathology of these diseases is characterized by an inflammatory cellular infiltration and an apparent increase in connective tissue of alveolar septae; in some, there are inflammatory cells within alveolar airspaces (Fig 1B). Many of the interstitial diseases also have disease of airways, pulmonary vasculature, and sometimes pleural disease. 1 Fulmer JD Crystal RG Interstitial lung diseases. in: Simmons DE Current pulmonology. Houghton-Mifflin Publishers, Boston1979: 1-65 Google Scholar , 3 Crystal RG Gadek JE Ferrans VJ Fulmer JD Line BR Hunninghake GW Interstitial lung disease: current concepts of pathogenesis, staging and therapy. Am J Med. 1981; 70: 54-67 Abstract Full Text PDF Scopus (344) Google Scholar , 4 Crystal RG Roberts WC Hunninghake GW Gadek JE Fulmer JD Line BR Pulmonary sarcoidosis: a disease characterized and perpetuated by activated lung T-lymphocytes. Ann Intern Med. 1981; 94: 73-94 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar