A Review of Smoking-Related Interstitial Fibrosis, Respiratory Bronchiolitis, and Desquamative Interstitial Pneumonia: Overlapping Histology and Confusing Terminology

Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2018 Oct;142(10):1177-1181. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2018-0240-RA.

Abstract

Smoking-related lung diseases traverse a spectrum of clinicopathologic entities, with cases often comprising a complex mixture of findings. The complexity of the diagnostic process extends beyond the histologic findings to the nomenclature, which is murky from a seemingly unending expansion of terms being applied to a handful of pathologic changes. Here, we focus our review on smoking-related interstitial fibrosis, respiratory bronchiolitis, and desquamative interstitial pneumonia, 3 entities that perhaps show the most histologic overlap and suffer from competing terminology.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bronchiolitis / etiology
  • Bronchiolitis / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / etiology
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / pathology*
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / etiology
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / pathology*
  • Smoking / adverse effects*