Presentation
Breathlessness
Patient Data
Patchy widespread lung infiltrates and previous cardiac surgery.
Multiple patchy bilateral areas of lung consolidation tending towards the periphery with an occasional groundless area consistent with organising pneumonia.
Dense liver also - not shown.
Biopsy proven.
Case Discussion
Organising pneumonia (OP) is considered a non-specific repair process in lungs in response to various kinds of lung insults:
cryptogenic organising pneumonia (COP) when the cause is not known
-
secondary organising pneumonia when the cause is known
infection, inflammatory bowel disease, drugs (as in the above case), collagen vascular disease, organ transplantation and radiation direct to the chest
The histological hallmark of OP is intra-alveolar granulation tissue plugs (Masson bodies) which extend into bronchiolar lumina. The presence of these plugs is a prerequisite for restoration of tissue integrity.
Not to be confused with bronchiolitis obliterans organising pneumonia (BOOP), which is a disease specifically of small airways.
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