radiological appearance of extrinsic allergic alveolitis
Last reviewed 01/2018
The features of extrinsic allergic alveolitis on chest radiography include:
- no abnormality in the early disease
- the lungs are small with some ground glass shadowing
- with regular exposure to the allergen:
- fluffy, nodular or streaky shadowing develops
- the upper lobes are more commonly affected
- these shadows represent areas of granuloma formation and fibrosis
- in severe disease there may be areas of honeycomb lung