Abstract
The clinical course and radiographic and pathological findings in 14 patients having the histological pattern of desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP) were studied. Four deaths occurred from cardiorespiratory failure and 2 from other diseases, and one patient had severe pulmonary insufficiency. Seven patients had altered immunological reactivity or arthritis. Necropsy of 3 patients, one who died of respiratory insufficiency and 2 of other diseases, revealed diffuse pulmonary fibrosis with loss of the desquamative features noted on biopsy. One patient had had industrial exposure to tungsten carbide dust and X ray diffraction analysis of the post mortem lung showed high concentrations of this substance. ultrastructural observation and direct immunofluorescent staining of one specimen demonstrated fibrin in the alveolar space, a feature usually regarded as distinguishing DIP from chronic fibrosing interstitial pneumonia. The clinical and pathological observations suggest that the histological pattern recognized as DIP may be a nonspecific reaction to diverse forms of injury, which is not clearly separable from the usual type of diffuse interstitial fibrosis.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 680-693 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Thorax |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1973 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Autopsy
- Biopsy
- Diagnosis, Differential
- Female
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique
- Humans
- Lung/pathology
- Male
- Microscopy, Electron
- Middle Aged
- Pulmonary Fibrosis/diagnosis
- Radiography
- Steroids/therapeutic use