Interstitial Lung Disease Flashcards
What is Interstitial Lung Disease
Interstitial lung disease is an umbrella term to describe conditions that affect the lung parenchyma (the lung tissue) causing inflammation and fibrosis.
What does fibrosis involve?
Fibrosis involves the replacement of the normal elastic and functional lung tissue with scar tissue that is stiff and does not function effectively.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of interstitial lung disease requires a combination of clinical features and high resolution CT scan of the thorax.
What does high resolution CT of the thorax show?
HRCT shows a “ground glass” appearance with interstitial lung disease.
Prognosis and management options
Generally there is a poor prognosis and limited management options in interstitial lung disease as the damage is irreversible.
Generally the treatment is supportive and where possible to prevent further progression of the disease.
What are examples of ILD?
Sarcoidosis
Lupus
Rheumatoid arthititis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (most common)
What is hypersensitivity pneumoinitis?
AKA Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a type III hypersensitivity reaction to an environmental allergen that causes parenchymal inflammation and destruction in people that are sensitive to that allergen.
What is beonchoalveolar lavage?
Bronchoalveolar lavage involves collecting cells from the airways during bronchoscopy by washing the airways with fluid then collecting that fluid for testing.
This shows raised lymphocytes and mast cells in hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
Management of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
Management is by removing the allergen, giving oxygen where necessary and steroids.
Examples of specific causes of hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Bird-fanciers lung is a reaction to bird droppings
Farmers lung is a reaction to mouldy spores in hay
Mushroom workers’ lung is a reaction to specific mushroom antigens
Malt workers lung is a reaction to mould on barley
What is asbestosis?
Asbestosis is lung fibrosis related to the inhalation of asbestos.
Asbestos is fibrogenic, meaning it causes lung fibrosis.
t is also oncogenic, meaning it causes cancer.
how long do effects of asbestosis take to develop?
Several decades
Problems asbestos inhalation can cause
Lung fibrosis
Pleural thickening and pleural plaques
Adenocarcinoma
Mesothelioma
