Imaging of Smoking and Vaping Related Diffuse Lung Injury

Radiol Clin North Am. 2022 Nov;60(6):941-950. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2022.06.004. Epub 2022 Sep 15.

Abstract

Lung injury associated with smoking tobacco or other substances results in a variety of clinical presentations and imaging patterns, depending on mechanism of injury and substance inhaled. Patients may present in the acute setting, as in the case of acute eosinophilic pneumonia, e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury, crack lung, or heroin inhalation. They may present with subacute shortness of breath and demonstrate findings of pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis, respiratory bronchiolitis, or desquamative interstitial pneumonia. Alternatively, they may present with chronic dyspnea and demonstrate findings of emphysema or smoking-related interstitial lung fibrosis.

Keywords: Crack lung; EVALI; Langerhans cell histiocytosis; Respiratory bronchiolitis; Smoking-related lung injury.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems*
  • Heroin
  • Humans
  • Lung Injury* / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Injury* / etiology
  • Smoking
  • Vaping* / adverse effects

Substances

  • Heroin