High resolution computed tomography patterns in interstitial lung disease (ILD): prevalence and prognosis

To correlate the prevalence and prognosis of each HRCT pattern of typical, probable, and indeterminate usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) with the clinical multidisciplinary diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD).

We included all patients with a multidisciplinary diagnosis of ILD with an HRCT pattern of typical UIP, probable UIP, or indeterminate for UIP. Clinical and histopathological data, pulmonary function tests, and survival status were retrospectively obtained. The final diagnosis was validated by a multidisciplinary team.

A total of 244 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 68 ±13 years and being 52.5% males. In a total of 106 patients with typical UIP pattern, 62% had the multidisciplinary diagnosis of IPF, 20% had chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP), and 10% had connective tissue disease-related ILD (CTD-ILD). Out of the 114 cases with probable UIP, CTD-ILD corresponded to 39%, IPF to 31%, desquamative interstitial pneumonia to 11%, drug-related lung disease to 9%, and CHP to 8%. In the 24 patients with CT indeterminate for UIP, CTD-ILD was the final diagnosis in 33%, followed by desquamative interstitial pneumonia (21%), and IPF (13%). Patients with typical UIP were more likely to die or had lung transplantation in the follow-up (17.9% and 11.3%, respectively).

IPF, CHP, and CTD-ILD were the main differential diagnoses in patients with HRCT patterns of typical, probable and indeterminate UIP. Patients with HRCT typical UIP pattern were more likely to die or had lung transplantation in the follow-up.