title: High-resolution CT in diagnosis of diffuse infiltrative lung disease.
abstract: The chest radiograph remains the first imaging modality for the approach to diffuse infiltrative lung disease (DILD), but, 23 years after its introduction, high-resolution CT (HRCT) is still considered the best imaging tool for the evaluation of the pulmonary interstitium and to diagnose and assess DILD. The introduction of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has provided the thoracic radiologist with a powerful tool with which to image the lung. Moreover MDCT has enabled radiologists to understand better the functional information contained within CT images of DILD. By focusing on the HRCT signs, patterns, and distributions of abnormalities, and mentioning the clinical aspects and the new recent advances in pulmonary imaging, in this article we provide an overview of a practical approach to the interpretation of the DILD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Parma, University of Parma, Italy. maurizio.zompatori@unipr.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zompatori
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sverzellati
authors.forename: Venerino
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Poletti
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bnà
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ormitti
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spaggiari
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maffei
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods