title: Lung CT: Part 2, The interstitial pneumonias--clinical, histologic, and CT manifestations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The interstitial pneumonias are a group of heterogeneous nonneoplastic lung diseases that may be idiopathic or associated with an underlying abnormality. Although they share some features in common, they also exhibit diverse pulmonary manifestations. Imaging plays an essential role in characterizing this group of disorders and can often suggest the diagnosis, though the final interpretation requires a coordinated effort involving the radiologist, pathologist, and clinician. The purpose of this article is to review the imaging features of the interstitial pneumonias according to their histologic patterns and to provide a brief overview of their clinical presentations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article reviews the interstitial pneumonias according to their histologic subtypes, including both idiopathic and secondary forms. On completion, the reader should have an improved understanding of the classification of the interstitial pneumonias, associated causes, characteristic imaging features, histologic descriptions, clinical manifestations, and prognoses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Texas Houston Medical School, 6431 Fannin St, MSB 2.130B, Houston, TX 77030, USA. ecferguson@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Emma C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Eugene A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Berkowitz
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed