what is non specific pneymonitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and interstitial pneumonia

[MLH7148]

I have just receive results of a Chest CT scan with contrast.

The Impression says:
1.  Patchy ground glass opacities with mosaic attenuation pattern to the lung parenchyma, corresponding well to the reported findings of chest radiographs.  The appearance is most suggestive of a non specific pneumonitis, Hypersensitivity pneumonitis certainly could give this ty0pe of appearpance.  Acute interstitial pneumonia, early idiopathic pulmonary bivrosis and desquamative interstitial pneumonitis are also possible etioloigies.  Pulmondoary hemorrhage could cause this appearance as could atypical pneumonia.  Chronic Thromboemobic disease is fest to be a less likely etiology for the reasons descried above.  Mild mediastinal and hilar adenopathy is most likely reactive to the primary process within the lung parenchyma.

What does all that mean to a non medically trained person?

[National Jewish Health]

The majority of pneumonias are infectious but there is another large category of diffuse lung diseases, which are spread throughout both lungs, mostly of unknown cause that are a non-infectious basis.  Some of these are allergic such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and others primarily inflammatory such as pulmonary fibrosis and desquamative interstitial pneumonitis.  Hemorrhage would be lung disease due to widespread bleeding into the lungs.

Some of these are associated with hilar adenopathy, which are enlarged lymph nodes.

Basically, there are a lot of lung diseases that present with the CT appearance you describe.  History can be helpful in leading to a diagnosis, in some instances, but for many others, a lung biopsy is necessary.

These diseases vary in their response to therapy and that is why the biopsy is often necessary to make a specific diagnosis.

You should arrange for an appointment with a pulmonologist, commonly called a lung specialist, who, with additional information and observation of the CT scan, will be much better able to suggest the disease or likely diseases and determine the optimum diagnostic procedure to confirm the diagnosis.

To learn more please read our interstitial lung disease information by copying and pasting this address

http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/ild/index.aspx

into the address window of your internet browser.

Good luck.

[we727]

A related discussion, what is bilateral pneumonitis was started.