title: Aspiration-related lung diseases.
abstract: Aspiration is a common but underrecognized clinicopathologic entity, with varied radiographic manifestations. Aspiration represents a spectrum of diseases, including diffuse aspiration bronchiolitis, aspiration pneumonitis, airway obstruction by foreign body, exogenous lipoid pneumonia, interstitial fibrosis, and aspiration pneumonia with or without lung abscess formation. Many patients who aspirate do not present with disease, suggesting that pathophysiology is related to a variety of factors, including decreased levels of consciousness, dysphagia, impaired mucociliary clearance, composition of aspirate, and impaired host defenses. In this pictorial essay, we will review the different types of aspiration lung diseases, focusing on their imaging features and differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Radiology §Diagnostic Radiology Residency, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL ‡Department of Radiology, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO †Argos Laboratory, Fortaleza, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Prather
authors.forename: Tristan R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Dana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Poletto
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tavora
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Leelakrishna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nallamshetty
authors.forename: Todd R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Hazelton
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rojas
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008169:Lung Abscess / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods