Respiratory bronchiolitis-interstitial lung disease

Respiratory_bronchiolitis-interstitial_lung_disease, abbreviated RBILD and RB-ILD, is a type of diffuse lung disease.

It is also known as respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease.

General

• May be an early version of desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP).
• Associated with smoking.

Microscopic

Features:

• Brown pigmented airspace macrophages - smoker's macrophages - key feature.
  • Cannot count (distinct) granules.
• Inflammation of the terminal bronchioles.

Note:

• The histologic features of RBILD may be present peri-tumoural.
• Hemosiderin-laden macrophages have coarse granules - that one can count.

DDx:

• Desquamative interstitial pneumonia.

Image

• RB-ILD (nature.com).

See also

• Diffuse lung diseases.