Acute |
Infective pneumonia | Up to 90% | CXR: consolidation BAL: culture may isolate pathogen | Variable |
Pleuritis | 50–80% | CXR: may show pleural effusion | Good |
Thromboembolic disease | Variable | CXR: pulmonary oligaemia, peripheral wedge-shaped consolidation, may show pleural effusion CTPA: may show pulmonary embolus Doppler: may show venous embolus | Variable Can progress to pulmonary hypertension |
Alveolar haemorrhage (AH) | <2% | Full blood count: drop in haemoglobin CXR: patchy infiltrates at bases BAL: blood stained, haemosiderin-laden macrophages | Mortality >50% |
Acute lupus pneumonitis (ALP) | <10% | CXR: patchy infiltrates at bases | 70–90% |
Chronic |
Chronic ILD | 3% | CXR/CT: interstitial infiltrates, ground-glass shadowing, honeycombing PFT:↓FVC, ↓DLCO | Variable, can be slowly progressive |
Pulmonary hypertension | 5–14% | Echocardiography: ↑right ventricular pressures, PAP >20 mmHg PFT: stable FVC, ↓DLCO | Up to 50% |
Shrinking lung syndrome | <1% | CXR: ↓ lung volume, raised hemi diaphragm PFT: ↓FVC, ↓DLCO | Good |