Comparison between Conventional Radiography and High Resolution Computed Tomography in Interstitial Diseases of the Lungs

摘要

Background and objectives : Interstitial lung diseases are a diverse group of diseases that predominantly affect the lung interstitium and share similar clinical and radiological manifestations. Most patients have non specific respiratory complaints and the first suggestion of the disease is usually a chest radiograph. However many, patients of interstitial lung disease can have a normal chest radiogram; in these patients HRCT can detect abnormalities not visualized on the chest radiogram. This study attempts to compare conventional chest radiography and HRCT in the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease. Methods : The present study included 30 patients. After a detailed clinical work up, all the patients underwent both conventional chest radiography and HRCT. The images were evaluated and the findings compared between chest radiography and HRCT. The results were tabulated, statistically analysed and compared with previous studies. Result : The main result of the study was that HRCT was able to detect more abnormalities than conventional chest radiogram in the diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases. The differences between the two modalities were found to be statistically significant in certain findings. Interpretation and conclusion : HRCT appears to be a better modality of investigation than conventional chest radiography in the diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases. HRCT was able to detect abnormalities even in cases when the chest radiogram was normal, thereby emphasizing the inherent lack of sensitivity of chest radiography. Clinicians should therefore give patients the benefit of an HRCT examination even when the chest radiogram appears normal. INTRODUCTION Interstitial lung diseases are a diverse group of diseases which affect the lung interstitium and share similar clinical and radiological manifestations. They are a heterogeneous group of disorders of the lower respiratory tract that are characterised by both acute and chronic inflammation and a generally irreversible and relentless process of fibrosis in the interstitium and the alveolar walls. The intersttrium refers to tissues of the alveolar wall between the capillary endothelium and ihe alveolar epithelium and it is the site of primary injury.