Diffuse Cystic Lung Diseases

Book excerpt: This book is a comprehensive reference on diffuse cystic lung diseases (DCLDs). DCLDs are a group of pathophysiologically heterogenous processes that are characterized by the presence of multiple spherical or irregularly shaped, thin-walled, air-filled spaces within the pulmonary parenchyma. In recent years, tremendous advancements have been made in these diseases leading to improved understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, and improved outcomes with targeted therapies. The authors, who are leading experts in the field, delineate DCLDs as a separate category distinct from other interstitial lung diseases, and have created this textbook specifically dedicated to this disease group. This book begins with a chapter introducing the definition and classification of DCLDs. Subsequent chapters address the pathogenic mechanisms underlying pulmonary cyst formation and provide a detailed overview of the radiological and pathological features of DCLDs. The common as well as uncommon causes of DCLDs are comprehensively reviewed in individual chapters, as are the varied clinical presentations and extrapulmonary manifestations, and approaches to management and treatment. The book culminates in a final chapter that presents a practical algorithmic approach to diagnosis that progresses from least invasive to most invasive approaches. This textbook provides a one-stop, comprehensive and integrated, clinical, radiologic, and pathologic overview of DCLDs that will be as useful to the practicing clinician as it is to the clinical investigator.