Aproximación diagnóstica a las enfermedades pulmonares difusas / Diagnostic approach to diffuse pulmonary diseases

Las enfermedades pulmonares difusas representan un grupo de enfermedades que comparten un mismo criterio radiológico, existiendo más de 200 entidades que se presentan como tal. La clínica es fundamental para aproximar el diagnóstico etiológico que muchas veces resulta complejo. Tos y disnea progresiva son los síntomas clínicos característicos de estas enfermedades y se acompañan de la radiografía de tórax con opacidades difusas como método radiológico inicial. El estudio en general es multi- disciplinario incluyendo patrones radiológicos de la tomografía axial de tórax, estudio de función pulmonar, lavado bronquioal- veolar y biopsia pulmonar en algunos casos.

The diffuse lung diseases are a group of conditions that share common radiological criteria. There are over 200 causes. The clinic skill is essential to approximate the etiologic diagnosis, often complicated. Cough and progressive dyspnea are the clinical features of these diseases and are accompanied by chest radiography with diffuse opacities as the initial radiological method. The study is generally multidisciplinary and including radiological patterns in computer tomography of the chest, lung function study, bronchoalveolar lavage and lung biopsy in some cases.

CT-guided transthoracic cutting needle lung biopsy: its clinical application in diagnosing diffuse lung diseases / 介入放射学杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical application and safety of CT-guided transthoracic cutting needle lung biopsy in diagnosing diffuse lung diseases. Methods By using automatic biopsy gun (14 & 16 gauge), CT-guided transthoracic cutting needle lung biopsy was performed in 29 cases with diffuse lung diseases. The samples obtained were sent for pathological and immunohistochemical examination. The sampling successful rate, the diagnostic accuracy and the occurrence of complications were analyzed. Results Technical success rate was 100%, and large size of sample enough for pathological and immunohistochemical examination was obtained in all 29 cases. Definite pathological diagnosis could be made in 25 cases, with the positive diagnostic rate of 82.8%. The main complications included pneumothorax and pulmonary hemorrhage. The symptoms in most cases were not severe and disappeared within one week after the treatment. Conclusion For the diagnosis of diffuse lung diseases, CT-guided transthoracic cutting needle lung biopsy is a safe, easy, effective and reliable method with high successful rate, high diagnostic value and fewer complications, in these respects this technique is superior to transbronchial lung biopsy, open lung biopsy and video-assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy. Therefore, this technique should be popularized in clinical practice.

Neumonía en Organización: revisión del tema y presentación de 4 casos / Organizing pneumonia: revision of the topic and presentation of 4 cases

Se hace una revisión de las Neumonías en Organización según el concepto actual de las mismas, su nomenclatura diferente de las usadas previamente (BOOP), y las características clínicas, clasificación etiológica, alteraciones funcionales y anormalidades en las imágenes. Se comentan 4 casos clínicos de interés, dos con confirmación biópsica, y dos debidos a toxicidad por amiodarona. Se describe la afectación clínica, funcional y radiológica de los casos y se enfatiza un paciente con alteración tomográfica inusual y otro con evolución fibrótica progresiva asociado a artritis reumatoidea que se hizo aparente un año después del COP y coincidió con una exacerbación tardía del mismo.

Organizing pneumonias are reviewed according to the new approach from ATS/ERS statement. Most frecuent clinical patterns, image studies and functional alterations are commented on. Four clinical cases are described, two with pathological confirmation and two other amiodarone related. Unusual HRTC presentation is remarked in one case and another one due to rheumatoid arthritis, with pulmonary alteration preceding in one year rheumatic manifestations and relapsing one year later simultaneously with clinical and serologic rheumatoid arthritis.