Accuracy of chest high-resolution computed tomography in diagnosing diffuse cystic lung diseases

The diffuse cystic lung diseases (DCLDs) are a group of pathophysiologically heterogeneous processes characterised by the presence of multiple, thin-walled, air-filled spaces within the pulmonary parenchyma [1]. The differential diagnosis of DCLDs includes lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), follicular bronchiolitis (FB), lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP), Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome (BHD), pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH), amyloidosis, light chain deposition disease, cystic metastases, infectious entities such as Pneumocystis, and other aetiologies [2]. Bronchiectasis and bullous changes seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can also produce high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) patterns that mimic the DCLDs.