Parenchymal lung disease often presents on imaging with particular patterns that allow for recognition of certain clinical entities that may form the basis for an imaging differential diagnosis. Focal pulmonary opacities and multi-focal pulmonary opacities may be due to an infectious or neoplastic etiology, amongst other possibilities. Segmental/lobar opacities are also associated with a set of differential diagnoses. Diffuse parenchymal disease, while also associated with some infections and neoplasms, can additionally be seen in the setting of pneumoconioses and several idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. Combining clinical information including laboratory results with the imaging findings on chest radiography and computed tomography (CT) allows the physician to formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis or reach one specific diagnosis.
This review contains 16 figures, 4 tables and 32 references
Keywords: Pulmonary Opacity, Pulmonary Infection, Eosinophilic Pneumonia, Lipoid Pneumonia, Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Organizing Pneumonia, Lung Cancer, Diffuse Lung Disease, Pneumoconiosis, Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia
Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonia due to Chronic Inhalation of Oily Product Used as a Lubricant of Tracheotomy Cannula