Interstitial Fibrosis?

What does this mean? I had a routine x-ray a month ago and now have an appointment with the lung doc next week. I picked up the x-rays so I can take them with me. Here are the results on the paperwork from the imaging dept.


Findings: The heart and pulmonary vessels are normal in size. There are no infiltrate, effusion, or lymphadenopathy. There is subtle prominence of interstitial markings that extends to the subpleural surface of both lungs. This finding could represent underlying mild fibrosis, and may indicate a smoking history.

Impression: Subtle findings suggesting interstitial fibrosis, but with no infiltrate or other abnormality identified.



I am 43 Male and have never smoked a day in my life. My whole family used to smoke when I was a kid. Any input on this would be helpful, I have been a nervous wreck for the last 3 or 4 weeks.

Thanks, Mike

Also my liver function test came back a little high, I gooogled all of this together and saw Sarcoidosis. I asked my doctor and he said no way I have that. So who knows.

[National Jewish Health]

Lung markings of this type, located in the peripheral parts of the lungs, with extension to the pleura could indicate early fibrosis, a type of lung scarring, but need not be indicative of any disease or, if disease, need not be progressive.  The pulmonary specialist will probably order a CT scan of the lungs to better characterize these findings and will then be able to advise you whether or not further diagnostic testing is warranted.

As noted, above, these findings need not be indicative of any lung disease and this would be even more likely if your lungs were clear, with no sounds called rales, when listened to with a stethoscope.

[MDAVEY]

By the way I didn't mean what is Interstitial Fibrosis is I just meant the findings in general. Also I did work in a steel plant when I was a teenager. They used to cut sheets of metal and I remember there was always a lot of dust in the air. Maybe that has something to do with it.

Thanks

[MDAVEY]

Funny I was at the Doctor's office for my appointment as you were posting a reply. You were right he did order a breathing test and CT scan as well. He gave me a physical and checked my chest he said everything seemed fine and on rales or wheezing. He then said he wasn't to happy with the initial xray so we went into the next room and he did another on the spot. He then pulled it up so we could look at the results, he said the xray looked normal. He is going to do the CT just to be safe since the other xray dept said there was something there. Thanks for the help.