respiratory bronchiolitis

• related: small airway disease
• tags: #literature #pulmonology

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Pathology

The histologic hallmark of RB-ILD is the accumulation of tan-pigmented macrophages within the lumens respiratory bronchioles with associated submucosal and peribronchiolar infiltrate of lymphocytes and histiocytes.¹

Etiology

• smokers: RB-ILD
• non-transplant and nonlung transplant patient: constrictive bronchiolitis
• lung transplant patient: CLAD chronic lung allograft dysfunction

Chest imaging

• bronchiolitis with air trapping can have appearance of decreased lung density on expiration²

Links to this note

• ILD Interstitial Lung Disease or Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease

  • respiratory bronchiolitis

• small airway disease

  • respiratory bronchiolitis: in smokers, tan pigmented macrophages, exists in continuum with RB-ILD.

• smoking related respiratory bronchiolitis can have centrilobular nodules with more upper lobe distribution

  • related: respiratory bronchiolitis

• bronchiolitis with air trapping can have appearance of decreased lung density on expiration

  • related: respiratory bronchiolitis

Footnotes

1. SEEK Questionnaires ↩

2. An Algorithmic Approach to Lung Disease ↩