interstitial lung disease

[browneyedgirl190]

*High-resolution CT images were obtained through the lungs with increased interstitial markings demonstrated on the chest x-ray.
*This scan confirms the presence of a widespread pattern of increased nodular interstitial markings in both lung fields.
This is most prominent in the middle lobe and right upper lobes.

*Small foci of calcifications are identified in parahilar lymph nodes bilaterally.
*Increased linear attenuation is identified within the right upper lobe laterally.
*Mild pleural thickening is demonstrated in the right posterior sub apical region with a tendency to thickening and fibrosis around the right major fissure anterolaterally.

*This does not appear to be associated with significantly enlarged lymph nodes, however these are difficult to asses without intravenous contrast.
SUMMARY: confirmation of widespread interstitial lung disease. Again the differential diagnosis is somewhat wide. Respiratory consultation may be advisable in this case.

THIS IS FROM A CT SCAN IN MARCH I HAD CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THIS MEANS IN ENGLISH!IM WAITING TO SEE DOCTOR FOR MORE TESTS.YICKES IM ONLY 37 AND HAVE NEVER SMOKED!

[National Jewish]

These findings are commonly found with a variety of interstitial lung diseases (ILD).  This is swelling that leads to scarring of the lungs in the area between the air sacs and the blood vessels.  Please read our Interstitial Lung Disease MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/interstitial.html for further information.

You will probably need a lung biopsy.  This provides the specific answer that the CT scan cannot.  During a lung biopsy tiny pieces of lung tissue can be taken for further testing.  A lung biopsy is done to be certain about the diagnosis.  Only then is it possible to say what treatment would be most helpful.  Further testing that may be done are pulmonary function tests (PFTs).  These are a variety of breathing tests that provide detailed information about how your lungs are working.  Until your specific diagnosis is known one can only speculate.  However since you are a non-smoker, age 37 there is a strong likelihood that this will prove not to be cancer.

[SarcSurvivor]

Hi browneyedgirl,

One possibility you will want to look at is sarcoidosis, which is a systemic disease. You can learn more about this disease at www.sarcinfo.com. Be sure to follow up on this with your doctor. Sarcoidosis patients are generally non-smokers.

Belinda

[nycat3697]

If you look up the word interstitial lung disease, you will get what you are looking for.