Korean Society of Thoracic Radiology
The Korean Radiological Society
History
A 51-year-old man has suffered exertional dyspnea
for 15 days.
Findings
Chest radiograph shows diffuse ground glass opacities
and patchy consolidations in entire lung fields. Some reticular densities
are overlapped. HRCT scans show ground glass opacities and consolidations
with air-bronchogram in both lungs, predominantly involving the peripheral
lung zones. Interlobular septal thickenings are associated, showing the
crazy paving appearance.
Discussion
High-resolution CT findings of ground glass opacity
with superimposed interlobular and intralobular septal thickening termed
¡°crazy paving appearance¡± is thought to be characteristic of pulmonary
alveolar proteinosis. However, this appearance has been encountered in
other entities; pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, alveolar proteinosis, malignant
lymphoma, leukemia, acute radiation pneumonitis, lymphangitic carcinomatosis,
obstructive pneumonitis due to primary cancer, interstitial pneumonia associated
with collagen disease and mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma.
Tan and Kuzo reported a case of mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma
with crazy paving appearance. They explained the crazy paving appearance
in bronchioloalveolar carcinoma as follows; the alveoli are filled with
a low-density material (glycoprotein) and the alveolar septae and underlying
parenchymal architecture typically remain normal. The low-density intraalveolar
material likely accounts for the background ground-glass opacity. The superimposed
network of linear opacities is thought to represent septal edema with thickening
of the interlobular septa and intralobular interstitium or may result from
infiltration of the interstitium by inflammatory cells. Whenever the parenchymal
opacity is contiguous with a fissure, the adjacent fissure appears denser
and thicker than normal on CT scans.
References
1. Tan RT , Kuzo RS. High-Resolution CT findings of mucinous bronchioloalveolar
carcinoma: a case of pseudopulmonary alveolar proteinosis. AJR 1997; 168:
99-100
2. Myrayama S, Yabuuchi H, Murakami J, Masuda K. Crazy paving appearance
on HRCT: clinical incidence and analysis. Radiology 1997; 205 (P); 677
3. Murch CR, Carr DH. Computed tomography appearances of pulmonary
alveolar proteinosis. Clin Radiol 1989; 40: 240-243.