[Disseminated interstitial lung lesions in Lung Diseases Clinic patients]

The large number of diseases with interstitial lesions in the lungs needs numerous expensive and complicated examinations for differential diagnosis. These difficulties and increasing number of patients made us to look for possibilities to facilitate diagnosis. In 103 patients with diagnosed disease with disseminated lung lesions, the age and gender, vital capacity of the lungs, arterial blood gases pressure, the number of lymphocytes in peripheral blood were assessed. In sarcoidosis patients the subtypes of lymphocytes in peripheral blood and in bronchial washings were examined. It was established, that the number of interstitial lung lesions patients every year was greater. In observed group of patients the interstitial lesions in chronic pulmonary congestion, infections, neoplasms and sarcoidosis were seen. In chronic pulmonary congestion group there were older men with decreased number of lymphocytes, severe decrease of vital capacity, slight hypoxemia and normal pCO2. Disseminated lung lesions in the course of infections, mainly in 36 to 60 year old men with severe lymphopenia were observed. In these men vital capacity, blood gases pressure was normal. Mostly, the interstitial lung lesions in miliary tuberculosis and fungosis were developed. Neoplasmatic interstitial lung lesions existed in the course of lung cancer, rarer in other malignancies occurred. There were found in middle-aged men with severe lymphopenia, mild decrease of vital capacity, severe hypoxia and normal or decreased pCO2. Sarcoidosis in middle-aged persons was seen. There was not dependence on gender. In these patients the severe decrease of vital capacity, hypoxia and increased pCO2 frequently were observed. The number of lymphocytes in peripheral blood and in bronchial washing in most patients was normal. The same was observed according to subtypes of lymphocytes. The results of presented examinations are useful in evaluation of the clinical patient's state but their value in differential diagnosis of disseminated interstitial lung lesions is limited.