Update in nonneoplastic lung diseases

Fatal idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis in association with pregnancy - medico-legal evaluation

Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis is a rare disorder characterised by repeated episodes of intra-alveolar bleeding in association with consecutive anaemia, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension and respiratory failure. Pregnancy may exacerbate the symptoms of idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis typically worsening in the third trimester. A 32-year-old female after delivery was admitted to hospital with progressive dyspnoea of about 1-month duration. Sudden circulatory collapse caused fatal complication. During the post-mortem investigation, lung haemorrhage and histologically abundant iron deposition in macrophages and interstitial fibrosis were found. Medico-legal post-mortem evaluation of fatal cases may support the clinico-pathological context of the diagnosis of this entity.

Imaging of Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease

The aphorism that children are not little adults certainly applies for the imaging of interstitial lung disease. Acquiring motion-free images of fine pulmonary structures at desired lung volumes is much more difficult in children than in adults. Several forms of interstitial lung disease are unique to children, and some forms of interstitial lung disease encountered in adults rarely, if ever, occur in children. Meticulous attention to imaging technique and specialized knowledge are required to properly perform and interpret chest imaging studies obtained for the evaluation of childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD). This review will address technique recommendations for imaging chILD, the salient imaging findings in various forms of chILD, and the efficacy of imaging in the diagnosis and management of chILD.