Pattern recognition of radiological findings in chILD

S5C – Neonatal Lung Disease
PATTERN RECOGNITION OF RADIOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN chILD

Che Zubaidah Che Daud
Tunku Azizah Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Interstitial lung diseases in infants and children comprise a rare heterogenous group of parenchymal lung disorders characterised by dyspnea, tachypnea, crackles and hypoxemia. It may arise from a wide spectrum of developmental, genetic, inflammatory, infectious and reactive disorders. In the past, paucity of information and limited understanding often resulted in enormous in diagnostic challenges and confusion. In recent years, a substantial improvement in the understanding due to the development of structured classification system.

Many challenges and uncertainties for an early and correct diagnosis. Firstly, interstitial lung disease is less common in infants and children compared with adult therefore clinicians and radiologists are less familiar. Secondly, the clinical manifestations in infants and young child are often subtle, highly variable and typically nonspecific. Lastly, there is no pathognomonic clinical or laboratory criteria for diagnosis.

Therefore, imaging plays an important role in evaluating interstitial lung diseases in infants and children by confirming and characterizing the disorder, generating differential diagnoses and providing localization for lung biopsy for pathological diagnosis.

Establishment of new chILD classification has substantially enhanced understanding of this challenging category of lung disease in infant. Specialized knowledge of the classification with recognition of characteristic imaging findings of specific disorders has promise for early and accurate diagnosis, lead to optimal management of infant with ILD.

This lecture will highlight the imaging features of Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease