OBJECTIVE. The purposeof our studywas to describehigh-resolutionCT findingsof nonspecific interstitial pneumonia with fibrosis and to compare findings seen on CT with pathologic findings.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. High-resolutionCT findingsof biopsy-provennonspecific interstitial pneumonia with fibrosis from 23 consecutive patients (one man and 22 women) were analyzed retrospectively by two chest radiologists. CT findings were compared with pathologic findings.RESULTS. The predominant high-resolution CT finding,seenin all patients,wasbilateral patchy areasof ground-glass opacity with (35%) or without (65%) areasof consolidation. Ir regular linear opacities (87%), thickening of bronchovascular bundles (65%), and bronchial dilatation (52%) were also frequently seen. Honeycombing was not seen in any patient. All parenchymal abnormalities showed subpleural predominance. Areas of ground-glass opacity with or without irregular linear opacity or bronchial dilatation on CT correspondedpathologi cally to areasof interstitial thickening causedby varying degreesof interstitial inflammation and fibrosisshowingtemporaluniformity.Areas of consolidation, seenat five biopsysites, represented the areas of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, foamy cell collections in alveolar spaces,or microscopic honeycombing with mucin stasis.
CONCLUSION.On high-resolutionCT, nonspecificinterstitialpneumoniawith fibrosis is most commonly revealed as patchy subpleural areasof ground-glass opacity mixed with ir regular linear opacity or bronchial dilatation. These areas represent interstitial thickening caused by varying degrees of interstitial inflammation, fibrosis, or both.