[Organizing pneumonia: diagnosis and treatment].
According to current classifications, organizing pneumonia (OP) belongs to the group of diffuse parenchymatous diseases of the lungs. Morphological picture of OP is characterized by the presence of polypoid granulation tissue consisting of proliferating fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the gap of respiratory bronchioles. In most cases OP is idiopathic. Among the causes, most significant are diffuse diseases of the connective tissue and complications of pharmacotherapy. OP develops more frequently in 50-60-year old males and females. Typical for OP is an acute/subacute course with a clinical picture of bacterial pneumonia. Mean duration of the symptoms to diagnosis is 2-6 months. Roentgenologically, OP often presents with spotted bilateral (less often unilateral) dense consolidation foci of subpleural location; pulmonary volumes are, as a rule, unaffected. OP treatment of choice is administration of glucocorticosteroid drugs. The prognosis of OP is favourable, most of the patients are completely cured by glucocorticosteroids.
D018549:Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans