Differential Diagnosis of Pulmonary disease

Differential Diagnoses In Chest Disease

Acute Alveolar infiltrate

1. Pulmonary edema

2. Pneumonia

3. Aspiration

4. Hemorrhage

Anterior Mediastinal Masses

1. Thymoma

2. Teratoma

3. Substernal thyroid

4. Lymphoma

Opacified Hemithorax

1. Atelectasis

2. Pleural effusion

3. Pneumonia

4. Post-pneumonectomy

Pneumomediastinum

1. Ruptured esophagus

2. Ruptured trachea/bronchus

3. Iatrogenic

4. Asthma

5. Pneumoperitoneum

Chronic Alveolar Disease

1. Alveolar cell ca

2. Alveolar sarcoid

3. Lymphoma

4. Alveolar proteinosis

Large Cavitary Lung Lesions

1. Abscess

2. Carcinoma

3. TB

Bibasilar Interstitial Disease

1. Bronchiectasis

2. Aspiration

3. DIP

4. Asbestosis

5. Sickle Cell Disease

6. Scleroderma

Upper Lobe Disease

1. TB (2° TB)

2. Silicosis

3. Eosinophilic granuloma

4. Ankylosing spondylitis

Micronodular Lung Disease

1. Mets

2. Sarcoid

3. Pneumoconiosis

4. Miliary TB

Chronic Interstitial Disease Pulmonary Fibrosis

1. Pneumoconiosis

2. Interstitial Pneumonia

3. Granulomatous disease

4. Neoplastic disease

5. Idiopathic fibrosis

6. Collagen vascular disease

Small Cavitary Lung Lesions

1. Septic emboli

2. Rheumatoid nodules

3. Squamous or transitional cell mets

4. Wegener’s Granulomatosis

Lymphangitic Spread to the Lungs

1. Lung ca

2. Breast ca

3. Stomach ca

4. Pancreas ca

5. Laryngeal ca

6. Cervical ca

Multiple Lung Nodules

1. Mets

2. Wegener’s granulomatosis

3. Rheumatoid nodules

4. AVMs

5. Septic emboli

Pulmonary Interstitial Edema

1. CHF

2. Lymphangitic spread

3. Allergic reaction

Shifting Infiltrates

1. Loeffler’s syndrome

2. ABPA

3. Asthma

4. Polyarteritis

5. Viral pneumonia

Unilateral Hyperlucent Lung

1. Swyer-James syndrome

2. Pulmonary embolism

3. Pneumothorax

4. Obstructive emphysema

Rapidly Clearing Alveolar Infiltrate

1. Hemorrhage

2. Pulmonary edema

3. Aspiration

4. Pneumococcal pneumonia

Cavitating Pneumonia

1. Staph

2. Strep

3. TB

4. Gram negative (Klebsiella)

Middle Mediastinal Masses

1. Lymphadenopathy

2. Aneurysms

3. Esophageal duplication

4. Bronchogenic cysts

Masses with Air Bronchograms

1. Lymphoma

2. Alveolar cell ca

3. Pseudolymphoma (Maltoma)

Hilar Adenopathy

1. Sarcoid

2. TB

3. Lymphoma

4. Bronchogenic ca

5. Mets

Cavities Containing Masses

1. Aspergillosis

2. Cavitating bronchogenic ca

3. Tuberculosis

4. Hydatid cyst

Infiltrates with Effusion

1. Staph pneumonia

2. Strep pneumonia

3. TB

4. Pulmonary infarct

“Mass”+ ipsilateral adenopathy

1. Bronchogenic ca

2. Lymphoma

3. TB

Solitary Pulmonary Nodule

1. Bronchogenic ca

2. Hamartoma

3. Histoplasmoma

4. TB granuloma

5. Bronchial adenoma

6. Solitary met

7. Round pneumonia

8. Rounded atelectasis

Pleural Effusion

1. CHF

2. Mets

3. Pancreatitis

4. Pulmonary embolism

5. Trauma

6. Empyema

7. Collagen vascular

8. Ovarian tumor (Meig’s Syndrome)

9. Chylothorax

Left-sided Pleural Effusion

1. Boerhaave’s Syndrome

2. Dissecting aortic aneurysm

3. Pancreatitis

4. Distal thoracic duct rupture

Multiple Small Calcifications

1. Histoplasmosis

2. Silicosis

3. Chicken pox pneumonia

4. Pulmonary ossification 2° MS

5. Alveolar microlithiasis

Posterior Mediastinal Masses

1. Neurogenic tumors

2. Lymphadenopathy

3. Extramedullary hematopoesis

Mediastinal Adenopathy

1. Bronchogenic ca

2. Lymphoma

3. TB

4. Mets

5. Sarcoid

Lung Disease & Rib Destruction

1. Bronchogenic ca, i.e Pancoast tumor

2. Actinomycosis

3. Blastomycosis

4. Multiple myeloma

Pleural Calcification

1. Old TB empyema

2. Asbestos exposure

3. Hemothorax

“Masses” in Cardiophrenic Angle

1. Sequestration

2. Diaphragmatic hernia

3. Pericardial cyst

Unilateral Pulmonary Edema

1. Aspiration

2. Disease in other lung, e.g. COPD

3. Postural

4. Rapid expansion of PTX

Reverse “Pulmonary Edema”

1. Eosinophilic lung disease, e.g. Loeffler’s

2. Sarcoid

3. Pulmonary contusions