Lung Patterns Flashcards
Define the term “air alveolagram”:
- Mixed air filled alveoli with fluid filled alveoli
What are the radiographic signs that are seen in the early stages of lung disease (alveolar pattern)?
- Increased soft tissue opacity of lung parenchyma
- Air alveolagram - Poorly defined fluffy, hazxy coalescing opacities + radiolucent lung background
- Vessel effacment
Define the term “air bronchogram”:
- Effacement of the serosal bronchial wall w/retention of the lumen
What are the radiographic signs showing that and alveolar lung pattern has progressed?
- Solid radiopaque lung
- Air bronchograms
- Effacment of the vessels
What are the findings shown in the lung below?
- Yellow = air bronchograms (effacement of the serosal bronchial walls
- Purple = effacement of the vessels
What are the signs of a later stage alveolar pattern?
- Solid soft tissue opacity of the lung
- Effacement of the bronchial lumen
- Observe a lobar sign at the boundries
What is the name of the pattern that is shown below?
- Lobar sign (boundries)
Name the clinical sign that is shown below:
- Lobar sign (boundries) - causing effacement where it comes into contact with the heart
Name the clinical sign that is shown below:
- Lobar sign - effacement of adjacent structures due to being in contact with the consolidated lung
What are six causes of acute cause of alveolar lung pattern and two causes of chronic alveolar lung pattern?
Acute (usually fluid infiltration):
- Pulmonary haemorrhage (trauma and coagulopathy)
- Exudate (pneumonias - bronchopneumonia, aspiration, haematogenous)
- Transudate (focal oedema - cardiogenic and neurogenic - seizure, electrocution, near drowing)
- Diffuse smoke inhalation
- Atelectasis (airway obstruction, compression)
- Lobar torsion
Chronic disease = cellular infiltration:
- Neoplasia (primary lung tumour or pulmonary metastasis) - focal and lobar
- Abscess, atelectasis, lobar torsion
What is the most common site for bronchopneumonia?
- Cranioventral and assymetric
What is a common site for aspiration pneumonia?
- Middle and accesory lungs
- Assymetric - typically the right is seen more commonly
What locations are seen with haematogenous pneumonia?
- Caudally - diffuse and asymmetric
What is the pattern seen with pulmonary haemorrhage in the lung?
- Patchy anywhere
How do the patterns compare for cardiogenic and neurogenic odema?
- Cardiogenic odema = hilar, symmetrical and right close to the left atrium
- Neurogenic odema = dorsal caudal and peripheral
Describe the distribution of the pattern in the lung lobes below and make a conclusion as to the most likely cause:
- Alveolar lung pattern in the middle and the accessory lobes on RHS (chacteristic distribution for aspiration pneumonia)
- Effacement of the heart shadow
- Tracheal stripe sign is also seen (megaoesphagus)
- Shows megaoesphagus causing an aspiration pneumonia
What are the signs of a diffuse unstructured interstitual pattern?
- Increased soft tissue opacity lung background (red)
- Decreased lung contrast (red)
- Smudging of vascular margins - hazy but still seen (yellow)
- Periobronchial cuff formation (purple)
Name the pattern that is shown below and provide 4 differentials for it:
Structured intestitual pattern - miliary nodular pattern:
- Mycotic, neoplasia, sepsis - all common Ddx
- Pulmonary abscessation
- Eosinophilic lung disease
- Cryptococcus
Describe the distribution that is shown below and provide the most likely differential for small animals and Australia and three other potential Ddx:
Structured interstitual pattern - nodular pattern:
- Metastatic neoplasia - most common in small animals
- Mycosis, septic emboli, granulomas, haematomas, abscesses
For the image below:
- State the name of the pattern (be specific)
- State which one was taken using a vertical beam and which one used a horizontal
- Provide a differential list
- Strucutred interstitual pattern (cavitary nodule or mass)
- Top one = vertical beam, bottom one = horizontal beam
- Ddx: bullae, cavitary mass, necrotic centre neoplasia or granuloma, abscess, haemotoma
Anything but a cyst
