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Respiratory bronchiolitis is a lung disease associated with tobacco smoking. Topic Completed: 1 July 2020. Minor changes: 1 July 2020 In pathology, it is defined by the presence of " smoker's macrophages". When manifesting significant clinical symptoms it is referred to as respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD).
Diagnosis of respiratory bronchiolitis requires a correlation of clinical, radiologic and pathologic findings:
*Clinical: Symptoms and pulmonary function testing
*Radiologic:
''Respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease'' is respiratory bronchiolitis that manifests as a clinically significant interstitial lung disease. It is a form of
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of respiratory bronchiolitis requires a correlation of clinical, radiologic and pathologic findings:
*Clinical: Symptoms and pulmonary function testing
*Radiologic: Chest radiograph
A chest radiograph, called a chest X-ray (CXR), or chest film, is a projection radiograph of the chest used to diagnose conditions affecting the chest, its contents, and nearby structures. Chest radiographs are the most common film taken in med ...
and high-resolution computed tomography
* Pathologic: Lung biopsy
A lung biopsy is an interventional procedure performed to diagnose lung pathology by obtaining a small piece of lung which is examined under a microscope. Beyond microscopic examination for cellular morphology and architecture, special stains and ...
with "smoker's macrophages" limited to distal airspaces and peribronchiolar airspaces, and minimal to absent peribronchiolar interstitial fibrotic thickening
Respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease
''Respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease'' is respiratory bronchiolitis that manifests as a clinically significant interstitial lung disease. It is a form of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia
Idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP), or noninfectious pneumonia are a class of diffuse lung diseases. These diseases typically affect the pulmonary interstitium, although some also have a component affecting the airways (for instance, cryptoge ...
associated with smoking.
It is a histological finding, not a pathological description. When associated with disease, it is known as "Respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease" or "RB-ILD". Also, this disease is predominantly found in the upper lobe with centrilobar ground glass nodules. Importantly, no fibrosis is involved, just bronchial wall thickening. Treatment is to stop smoking.
The appearance is similar to desquamative interstitial pneumonia, and some have suggested that the two conditions are caused by the same processes.
See also
* BronchiolitisReferences
External links
Lung disorders {{respiratory-disease-stub