COMPARING APPLES WITH APPLES. CLINICO-RADIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF MULTIPLE CYSTIC LUNG DISEASES.

Abstract

The presence of multiple cystic lung lesions in chest radiology entertains a long list of differentials including infections like tuberculosis, staphylococcal pneumonia & pneumocystis jirovecci pneumonia; non infectious causes e.g pulmonary Langerhan‟s cell histiocytosis, and diseases which mimic cysts including cystic bronchiectasis & emphysema. Multiple cystic lung disease requires a careful evaluation and can sometimes create a diagnostic dilemma both for pulmonologists and the radiologists. A case series of six different cystic lung diseases is presented with emphasis on characteristic radiological features, which in the presence of some clinical and biochemical parameters can help in making accurate diagnosis and may obviate the need for invasive lung biopsy. HRCT chest is now recognized as a benchmark in many diagnostic areas of respirology and the aim to present this series is to highlight the importantdiagnostic radiological features which should be recognized by the physicians working in respiratory medicine.