Hiroaki Arakawa

Pathologically Proved Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonia: CT Pattern Analysis as Compared with Usual Interstitial Pneumonia CT Pattern

PURPOSE To assess the variability of computed tomography (CT) patterns in patients with pathologic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and to evaluate correlation of CT patterns with new idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) classification guidelines, including pathologic diagnosis and predicted mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS The ethical review boards of the five institutions that contributed cases waived the need for informed consent for retrospective review of patient records and images. The study included 114 patients with (a) a pathologic diagnosis of idiopathic NSIP (n = 39) or (b) a pathologic diagnosis of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and a clinical diagnosis of IPF (n = 75). Two groups of independent observers evaluated the extent and distribution of various CT findings and identified the following five patterns: UIP, possible UIP, indeterminate (either UIP or NSIP), NSIP, and suggestive of an alternative diagnosis. CT findings were compared with pathologic diagnoses and outcome from clinical findings by using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS Radiologists classified 17 cases as UIP, 24 as possible UIP, 13 as indeterminate (either UIP or NSIP), and 56 as NSIP. In 35 of 39 patients with pathologic NSIP, a diagnosis of NSIP was made with CT. On the basis of CT interpretations, the mean overall survival time of patients with UIP, possible UIP, indeterminate findings, or NSIP was 33.5, 73.0, 101.0, and 140.2 months, respectively. Outcome of patients with a CT diagnosis of UIP was significantly worse than that of patients with a pattern of possible UIP, indeterminate findings, or NSIP (log-rank test: P = .013, P = .018, and P < .001, respectively). CONCLUSION CT pattern in patients with pathologic NSIP is more uniform than that in patients with pathologic UIP, and CT NSIP pattern is associated with better patient outcome than is CT UIP pattern.

Complications of pneumoconiosis: Radiologic overview

A wide spectrum of pulmonary complications occurs in patients with pneumoconiosis. Those complications include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hemoptysis, pneumothorax, pleural disease, tuberculosis, autoimmune disease, anthracofibrosis, chronic interstitial pneumonia, and malignancy. Generally, imaging workup starts with plain chest radiography. However, sometimes, plain radiography has limited role in the diagnosis of pulmonary complications of pneumoconiosis because of overlapping pneumoconiotic infiltration. Computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are potentially helpful for the detection of pulmonary complications in patients with pneumoconiosis. CT, with its excellent contrast resolution, is more sensitive and specific method than plain radiograph in the evaluation of pulmonary abnormalities. CT is useful in detecting lung parenchymal abnormalities caused by infection, anthracofibrosis, and chronic interstitial pneumonia. Also, CT is valuable in distinguishing localized pneumothorax from bullae and aiding the identification of multiloculated effusions. US can be used in detection of complicated pleural effusions and guidance of the thoracentesis procedure. MRI is useful for differentiating between progressive massive fibrosis and lung cancer. Radiologists need to be familiar with the radiologic and clinical manifestations of, as well as diagnostic approaches to, complications associated with pneumoconiosis. Knowledge of the various imaging features of pulmonary complications of pneumoconiosis can enhance early diagnosis and improve the chance to cure.

Drug-induced interstitial lung disease in molecular targeted therapies: high-resolution CT findings

Drug-induced lung injury (DLI) comprises a wide variety of pathologies, each with a unique imaging pattern, so there are no characteristic imaging findings to establish diagnosis. When DLI is suspected, evaluation must exclude progression of underlying disease, infection, and mimicking diseases. Correct diagnosis requires integration of clinical information and radiologic, laboratory, and pathological findings when available. We describe the radiologic findings of DLI, the roles of the findings in the management of patients with DLI, and the limitations of radiologic diagnosis.

Broader criteria of undifferentiated connective tissue disease in idiopathic interstitial pneumonias

BACKGROUND Kinder et al. proposed a broader definition of undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) and reported that the entity of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) is a lung manifestation of this more broadly defined UCTD. However, a retrospective study did not support their findings and its clinical significance remains unclear. METHODS We prospectively evaluated the significance of this broadly defined UCTD in idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) in consecutive patients with surgical lung biopsy. Patients were evaluated with a symptoms check list and underwent comprehensive serologic testing as screening for UCTD. Clinical characteristics, high-resolution CT images, lung biopsy specimens, serial FVC change, and survival were analyzed. RESULTS Among 76 patients with IIPs, 24 patients (32%) fulfilled the UCTD criteria. Diagnosis of 24 patients with UCTD was usual interstitial pneumonia in 12 (50%), NSIP in 7 (29%), and unclassifiable interstitial lung disease (ILD) in 5 (21%). The diagnosis of 52 patients who did not have UCTD was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 27 (52%), NSIP in 11 (21%), unclassifiable ILD in 13 (25%) and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia in 1 (2%). One-year and two-year FVC changes showed no significant difference between UCTD and non-UCTD, however, significant differences in FVC change were observed among histopathological diagnoses both in UCTD and in non-UCTD. In multivariate survival analysis, %FVC and histopathological UIP pattern were independent predictors for survival but UCTD diagnosis was not. CONCLUSIONS A diagnosis of UCTD was not useful in discriminating NSIP or in predicting disease progression and prognosis in our cohort of IIPs. Histopathological UIP pattern was an independent predictor for mortality irrespective of a diagnosis of UCTD.

Radiological and Pathological Correlation of Autopsied Cases of Pneumoconioses

In this chapter, we provide case presentations of various pneumoconioses with radiological and pathologic correlation. Included here are classical silicosis, asbestosis, talcosis, arc-welders pneumoconiosis and mixed dust pneumoconiosis. In recent years, the incidence of classical silicosis is on the decline, whereas mixed dust pneumoconiosis has become increasingly frequent and, thereafter, has got the importance in clinical setting. A few years ago, based on this recognition, the authors held an international meeting about mixed dust pneumoconiosis and made clear its clinical and pathologic findings and proposed its definition (1). We briefly describe the concept and definition of mixed dust pneumoconiosis.