Abstract
Introduction:
Miliary shadows in the lung are not uncommon and are seen in a wide variety of diseases. Miliary pattern consists with the presence of multiple small (usually 1 to 3 mm in diameter) nodules in the lung with sharp margins.
Aims:
A heterogeneous group of conditions comprising more than 80 entities may display miliary pattern. We expose the most common entities. The radiologic features that help in the differential diagnosis are discussed.
Methods:
We report the cases of 20 patients (12 women and 8 men) with military lung disease. They were aged between 14 and 76 years. All of them were explored by a chest radiography and a high-resolution computed tomography.
Results:
According to the distribution of the nodules in relation to the secondary lobule, high-resolution computed tomography findings divide miliary patterns into 3 groups: centrilobular, perilymphatic, and random presentation. The entities found with this pattern are miliary tuberculosis (12 cases),sarcoidosis (2 cases), adenocarcinoma (3 cases), metastases (1 case), and silicosis (2 cases).
Conclusion
High-resolution computed tomography can help to narrow the differential diagnosis of miliary lung diseases. In selected cases the distribution of the nodules, associated radiologic findings and clinical features point to a definite etiologic diagnosis.
- © 2013 ERS