Fact-sheet: Respiratory bronchiolitis - interstitial lung disease
Updated on 08/23/2017 at 6:59 AM
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Definition
Diffuse interstitial lung disease due to accumulation of macrophages within the lumen of respiratory bronchioles and alveoli with peribronchiolar inflammatory infiltrates, most often of smoking-related origin.
Absence of fibrosis
Clinical features
Epidemiology: young male adult, heavy smoker.
Clinical presentation: progressive onset of dyspnea and cough
Laboratory findings
Presence of macrophages on BAL
Radiography
Often normal.
Rarely, bronchial wall thickening or reticulonodular opacities of the upper lobes
CT
Predominance in the upper lobes.
Ground-glass opacity --> interstitial involvement.
Centrilobular micronodules with fuzzy margins --> alveolar involvement.
Air trapping on expiration
Management
Smoking cessation. In some cases: corticosteroids