Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia

TLDR

Current guidelines recommend multidisciplinary collaboration among clinicians, radiologists, and pathologists to diagnose idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. In a review of 58 consecutive suspected cases, three clinicians, two radiologists, and two pathologists sequentially received clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic data, recording diagnostic impressions and confidence at each step. The study found that interobserver agreement and diagnostic confidence increased with each additional data set, particularly after histopathologic information, and that dynamic interactions among specialists improved agreement and confidence overall.

Abstract

Current guidelines recommend that the clinician, radiologist, and pathologist work together to establish a diagnosis of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. Three clinicians, two radiologists, and two pathologists reviewed 58 consecutive cases of suspected idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. Each participant was provided information in a sequential manner and was asked to record their diagnostic impression and level of confidence at each step. Interobserver agreement improved from the beginning to the end of the review. After the presentation of histopathologic information, radiologists changed their diagnostic impression more often than did clinicians. In general, as more information was provided the confidence level for a given diagnosis improved, and the diagnoses rendered with a high level of confidence were more likely congruent with the final pathologic consensus diagnosis. The final consensus pathologist diagnosis was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 30 cases. Clinicians identified 75% and radiologists identified 48% of these cases before presentation of the histopathologic information. Histopathologic information has the greatest impact on the final diagnosis, especially when the initial clinical/radiographic diagnosis is not idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We conclude that dynamic interactions between clinicians, radiologists, and pathologists improve interobserver agreement and diagnostic confidence.