DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i11.034

Pages: 4028-4033

Diffuse interstitial lung disease encompasses a large number of disorders that are characterized by cellular infiltrates in a peri acinar location. Many patients come with various respiratory complaints. Chest radiograph is usually first line investigation for such patients. Sometimes Chest radiograph results are inconclusive or they may even appear normal then we do HRCT Thorax, which helps to diagnose and visualize findings which are not visualized on chest radiograph. This study tries to compare findings of HRCT lung and Chest radiograph in interstitial lung diseases. Chest radiographs and high resolution computed tomography were done in patients with clinical suspicion of interstitial lung disease. The spectrum of diseases included in the study was: Sarcoidosis (23.3%), rheumatoid arthritis (10%), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (23.3%), silicosis (16.7%), disseminated tuberculosis (6.7%), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (6.7%), allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (6.7%) and lymphangitis carcinomatosis (6.7%). We conclude that HRCT seems to be the investigation of choice in evaluating patients of interstitial lung disease. Chest radiography is relatively insensitive and all patients with a clinical suspicion of interstitial lung disease should benefit from an HRCT examination of the chest.