Table 2 The four radiological patterns of diffuse lung disease
Pattern 1 Ground glass and consolidationPattern 2 FibrosisPattern 3 NodulesPattern 4 Mosaic patterns/cysts

  • Oedema

  • Pneumoconioses

  • Carcinomas and sarcomas

  • Small-airways disease with constrictive bronchiolitis

  • Infection

  • Chronic granulomatous infection

  • Lymphoproliferative diseases

  • Vasculopathic diseases

  • Aspiration

  • Usual interstitial pneumonia

  • Miliary granulomatous infections

  • Lymphangioleiomyomatosis

  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (extrinsic allergic alveolitis)

  • Chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis

  • Aspiration bronchiolitis

  • Langerhans cell histiocytosis

  • Drug reactions (toxic and hypersensitivity)

  • Related to rheumatic disease

  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis

  • Fumes and toxin injury

  • Chronic drug reactions

  • Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis

  • Related to rheumatic disease

  • Sarcoidosis

  • Sarcoidosis

  • Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias

  • Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia

  • Wegener granulomatosis

    • Non-specific interstitial pneumonia

  • Fibrotic non-specific interstitial pneumonia

  • Necrotising sarcoidosis

    • Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia

  • Chronic aspiration

  • Silicosis and silicate disease

    • Desquamative interstitial pneumonia

  • Chronic radiation injury

  • Respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease

  • Advanced Langerhans cell histiocytosis

  • Lymphangitic tumours

  • Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome

  • Wegener granulomatosis (haemorrhage variant)

  • Erdheim–Chester disease (non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis)

  • Alveolar proteinosis

  • Amyloidosis