The recognition and differential diagnosis of the various patterns of abnormality seen on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) are important in the evaluation of patients with chronic insterstitial lung diseases. Various patterns of abnormality have been described in the literature, which sometimes are overlapped. Distinction between the various patterns can be difficult particularly for residents and radiologists who are not familiarized with these images. The authors illustrate the characteristic patterns of abnormality seen in chronic interstitial lung diseases and propose a simple interpretation algorithm based on the pattern and distribution of the findings. The algorithm includes the six main patterns of abnormality seen on HRCT: septal lines, reticular pattern, cystic pattern, nodular pattern, ground-glass opacities and consolidation.
Interstitial lung disease; Lungs; Lung diseases; High-resolution computed tomography
