Autoimmune-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease: Imaging Phenotypes.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Pulmonology
• Pathology

Background:

• Autoimmune-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease (AA-ILD) requires accurate imaging phenotypes for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
• High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) is crucial for identifying AA-ILD patterns.
• Bridging the gap between defined imaging categories and clinical practice is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review characteristic imaging phenotypes of AA-ILD on HRCT.
• To correlate histopathologic categories with specific HRCT patterns.
• To explore the role of automated CT assessment in AA-ILD.

Main Methods:

• Review of established AA-ILD imaging phenotypes.
• Analysis of pulmonary parenchymal patterns and extrapulmonary findings on HRCT.
• Discussion of localized imaging features within the secondary pulmonary lobule.
• Exploration of current and future automated CT assessment applications.

Main Results:

• Key AA-ILD imaging phenotypes include parenchymal patterns, extrapulmonary findings, clinical context, and temporal changes.
• Specific HRCT signs are linked to histopathologic interstitial pneumonia categories.
• Automated CT assessment shows potential for objective AA-ILD phenotyping.

Conclusions:

• HRCT imaging phenotypes are vital for managing AA-ILD.
• A comprehensive understanding of imaging patterns improves clinical correlation.
• Automated CT analysis offers promising future applications in AA-ILD assessment.