Basic Chest Ddx

Front 1

Acute alveolar infiltrate

Back 1

1) Pneumonia


2) Pulmonary edema


3) Aspiration


4) Hemorrhage

Front 2

Opacified hemithorax

Back 2

1) Atelectasis


2) Pleural effusion


3) Pneumonia


4) Post pneumonectomy

Front 3

Pneumomediastinum

Back 3

1) Iatrogenic


2) Boorhaves (or other cause of ruptured esophagus)


3) Ruptured trachea or central bronchus


4) Asthma


5) Pneumothorax


6) Pneumoperitoneum

(might have to refine this one)

Front 4

Chronic alveolar infiltrate

Back 4

1) Bronchioloalveolar cell CA


2) Lymphoma


3) Alveolar proteinosis


4) Alveolar sarcoid

Front 5

Large cavitary lesions

Back 5

1) TB


2) Cancer (primary or metastatic -- mets more likely lung bases and multiple)


3) Pneumonic abscess


4) Septic emboli

Front 6

Bibasilar interstitial disease

Back 6

BADASS

Front 7

Bilateral interstitial disease

Back 7

1) Bronchiectasis


2) Aspiration


3) DIP/UIP


4) Asbestosis


5) Scleroderma


6) Sickle cell dz

Front 8

Upper lobe disease

Back 8

1) Secondary TB


2) Sarcoidosis


3) Silicosis


4) Langerhans cell histiocytosis


5) Ankylosing spondylitis


6) PCP treated with pentamidine

Front 9

Micronodular lung disease

Back 9

1) Miliary TB


2) Mets (thyroid)


3) Sarcoid


4) Silicosis or other pneumoconiosis


5) Alveolar microlithiasis


6) Viral pneumonia (varicella)


7) LCH

Front 10

Small cystic lung lesions

Back 10

1) LAM


2) LCH

Front 11

How do you differentiate the two?

Back 11

LCH also has nodules

Front 12

Small cavitary lung lesions

Back 12

1) Septic emboli


2) squamous cell or transitional cell mets


3) Wegeners


4) Rheumatoid necrobiotic nodules