Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia: clinical outcomes of 60 consecutive cases.

Background: Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) improves rapidly following corticosteroid treatment; however, relapse is common. Therefore, this retrospective observational study aimed to clarify the clinical outcomes of COP and identify the predictive factors for relapse.

Methods: The laboratory findings, pulmonary function test results, computed tomography (CT) findings, and clinical outcomes of 60 consecutive COP patients treated at our institution between 2007 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed.

Clustered Cystic Changes in Long-Term Follow-Up Thin-Section Computed Tomographic Findings in Fibrotic Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonia.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess cystic changes in findings on follow-up CT scans of patients with fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP).

Methods: The initial and last high-resolution CT scans of 58 patients with pathologically proven fibrotic NSIP were evaluated retrospectively. The median follow-up periods were 48 months (range, 12-183 months).

Poor Outcome and Mortality in Patients with Lower Lung-Dominant Sarcoidosis.

Background: Pulmonary sarcoidosis predominantly affects the upper lung zones but sometimes affects the lower lung zones. We hypothesised that patients with lower lung zone-dominant sarcoidosis had lower baseline forced vital capacity, progressive restrictive lung function decline, and higher long-term mortality.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data including the pulmonary function tests of 108 consecutive patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis pathologically confirmed by lung and/or mediastinal lymph node biopsy from 2004 to 2014 from our database.

Imaging diagnosis of pneumoconiosis with predominant nodular pattern: HRCT and pathologic findings.

The radiological patterns of known pneumoconiosis have been changing in recent years. The basic pathology in pneumoconiosis is the presence of dust macules, mixed dust fibrosis, nodules, diffuse interstitial fibrosis, and progressive massive fibrosis. These pathologic changes can coexist in dust-exposed workers.