Bad for Breathing: A Pictorial of Drug-Induced Pulmonary Disease

Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2016 Nov-Dec;45(6):429-432. doi: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2015.10.002. Epub 2015 Oct 22.

Abstract

Drug-induced lung disease has been described with over 300 different agents, some of which are asymptomatic and may first present on imaging. These pulmonary diseases may present with variable imaging manifestations, and often overlap with other etiologies such as rejection, lymphoproliferative disorders, and infection that may be suspected in this patient population. However, there are several drugs that have classic imaging appearances, and in the proper clinical context, the radiologist should include their toxicity in the differential diagnosis, potentially expediting withdrawal of the drug and avoiding irreversible lung injury such as fibrosis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Lung / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Lung Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed