CT evaluation of fibrosing alveolitis--applications and insights.

The clinical management of patients with fibrosing alveolitis has traditionally been empirical; without lung biopsy, a definitive diagnosis may be impossible and decisions about treatment are often arbitrary. With the advent of high-resolution computed tomography (CT), the proportion of patients needing lung biopsy for confirmation of the diagnosis of fibrosing alveolitis has declined. There is now much evidence that CT provides an accurate guide to disease activity, and more recent work has shown the important role of CT in providing new insights into the biologic behaviour and pathogenesis of fibrosing alveolitis.