interstitial lung abnormality

Introduction

Abnormlalities incidentally identified involving at least 5% of a lung zone

• ground-glass or reticular abnormalities
• lung distortion
• traction bronchiectasis
• honeycombing
• non-emphysematous cysts

Epidemiology

• prevalence is 7% with screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT
  • prevalence is 7% with lung CT done for other reasons

Complications

• progression to interstitial lung disease
• excess 5 year mortality (RR=1.4-8.2)

Management

• review of medical history, especially
  • respiratory symptoms
  • inhaled exposures
  • drugs with lung toxicity
  • occult systemic diseases with pulmonary manifestations
  • conditions with predisposition to recurrent infection
    • recurrent aspiration pneumonitis

More general terms

• abnormal imaging

Additional terms

• solitary pulmonary nodule; pulmonary coin lesion