Manifestations of Systemic Diseases on Thoracic Imaging

A familiarity with the numerous findings in commonly encountered systemic diseases is necessary for the radiologist interpreting any chest study. These systemic diseases include collagen vascular diseases, vasculitides, granulomatous diseases, neoplasms, hematologic and metabolic abnormalities, neurocutaneous syndromes, deposition disease, and miscellaneous conditions such as cystic fibrosis and Goodpasture's syndrome. Although the imaging findings of these and other recognized systemic diseases are often nonspecific and varied, an understanding of their typical manifestations allows the radiologist to play a significant role in suggesting a particular diagnosis and impacting patient care.