Eosinophilic pneumonia CT
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Eosinophilic pneumonia Microchapters |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Eosinophilic pneumonia CT |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Eosinophilic pneumonia CT |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
CT
- At the onset of AEP, the chest radiograph may show only subtle reticular or ground glass opacities, often with Kerley B lines. [58,59]
- As the disease progresses, bilateral diffuse mixed ground glass and reticular opacities develop [1,2,9,39-42,59] (image 1A-B).
- Isolated ground glass (approximately 25 percent of cases) or reticular (approximately 25 percent of cases) opacities may also be seen on presentation. The distribution of opacities in AEP is diffuse, unlike chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, in which the opacities are typically localized to the lung periphery.
- Small pleural effusions are common (noted in up to 70 percent of patients) and are frequently bilateral [8,45,48].
- High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans are not essential to the diagnosis, but can help characterize the distribution of opacities and guide selection of an area of involvement for bronchoalveolar lavage. The HRCT is always abnormal in patients with AEP and is characterized by bilateral, random, and patchy ground-glass or reticular opacities (image 2) [19,60]. Centrilobular nodules and air-space consolidation are seen in approximately 50 and 40 percent, respectively [19].
- In mild cases, the lesions are sparse or localized [41,61]. At the height of the disease process, HRCT reveals ground-glass opacities along the bronchovascular bundles. Pleural effusions, usually bilateral, are present in almost 90 percent.