ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the spectrum of pathological manifestations of pulmonary drug toxicities, and the role of lung biopsy interpretation in the context of multidisciplinary correlation. It focuses on the major histological patterns of drug toxicity that are likely to be seen in surgical lung biopsies. These patterns can be divided into interstitial, alveolar, vascular and pleural categories. Adverse effects of medications on the lungs are an increasing problem, given the rapidly growing number of drugs used for therapeutic and illicit purposes. The diagnosis of pulmonary drug toxicity is complicated because it requires multidisciplinary correlation between clinical, radiological, laboratory and – when available – pathology material. Pathological assessment of the lungs for the diagnosis of drug toxicity can be approached by surgical lung biopsy, bronchoscopic biopsy or bronchoalveolar lavage. Pathologists are in the best position to help the clinician if sufficient clinical and radiological information is provided to aid in interpreting lung biopsies.
