Interpretation of High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) in Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)

Dr Joseph Mammarappallil introduces the final video in the series, focusing on how to interpret HRCT in ILD care. He outlines how to identify HRCT imaging patterns, assess disease progression, and collaborate with multidisciplinary colleagues in disease management.

Chapter 1: Why HRCT Matters: This chapter explains why HRCT is the gold standard for ILD evaluation, offering unparalleled detail for diagnosis and monitoring. Dr Mammarappallil emphasizes the importance of integrating HRCT results with clinical, laboratory, and pathological data. 

Chapter 2: Recognizing Key HRCT Patterns: Dr Mammarappallil reviews the three hallmark HRCT features of pulmonary fibrosis: reticulation, traction bronchiectasis, and honeycombing. He then walks through major ILD patterns, including usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), organizing pneumonia, and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP). 

Chapter 3: Practical Application in ILD Care: This section emphasizes that HRCT interpretation should be combined with pulmonary function tests and clinical assessment. Together, these data points enable accurate diagnosis, tracking of disease progression, and informed management decisions. 

Chapter 4: Embedding HRCT Into Clinical Practice: The final chapter provides practical strategies for integrating HRCT interpretation into clinical routines, from obtaining baseline scans to using structured comparisons over time. Dr Mammarappallil emphasizes pairing HRCT changes with pulmonary function trends to recognize progression early and guide confident patient care.