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Noninfectious lung disease in the immunocompromised host
1Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Division, USCD Medical Center, San Diego, Calif. 92103-8372, USA.
Respiration; International Review of Thoracic Diseases
|October 12, 1999
Summary
Noninfectious lung conditions commonly affect immunocompromised patients, presenting symptoms similar to infections. Diagnosing these noninfectious lung injuries requires careful evaluation to rule out infections first.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Immunology
- Radiology
Background:
- Immunocompromised patients are susceptible to diverse lung insults, including infections and noninfectious conditions.
- Noninfectious lung diseases in these patients often mimic infections, creating diagnostic challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the spectrum of noninfectious lung injuries in immunosuppressed hosts.
- To highlight the diagnostic difficulties and the importance of excluding infection.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical presentations and etiologies of lung injury in immunosuppressed patients.
- Discussion of common noninfectious lung conditions and their radiographic findings.
Main Results:
- Noninfectious lung injuries manifest as interstitial edema, fibrosis, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and obliterative bronchiolitis.
- Etiologies include sepsis, irradiation, graft complications, and drug reactions, often presenting as diffuse pulmonary infiltrates.
- Alveolar hemorrhage can complicate these conditions.
Conclusions:
- Diagnosing noninfectious lung injury in immunosuppressed hosts is complex.
- Excluding infection is the primary goal of diagnostic testing in these patients.