Patrones radiológicos en la enfermedad pulmonar intersticial

Interstitial lung disease (ILD), or diffuse infiltrative lung disease, includes a heterogeneous group of processes characterized by the appearance of an inflammatory reaction in the alveolar wall, triggered by different antigens.

This group represents a spectrum of diseases with distinct causes; furthermore, there is confusing variation in the use of nomenclature.

The imaging method of choice in the evaluation and diagnosis of ILD is high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), as it confirms the presence of lung disease and establishes the correct diagnosis of associated complications. However, the definitive diagnosis of these diseases requires consistency between the clinical and pathological findings. The radiologic images obtained by HRCT in this group of diseases are highly useful, especially to avoid unnecessary biopsies. For these reasons, clinicians should be familiar with the basic radiologic patterns associated with this special group of lung diseases: septal, reticular, nodular, ‘ground glass’, cystic, and condensation. This article describes the characteristics and presentation of these patterns and reviews some of the most frequent ILD, with special emphasis on their main radiological patterns.