Interstitial Lung Disease

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Diagnosis

There is no single test available to diagnosis hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). Therefore, your doctor will perform a series of tests to make a definite diagnosis. A careful and detailed medical and antigen exposure history, including environmental and occupational exposure, will also be recorded. In confirming a diagnosis of HP, your doctor will rely heavily on your medical and exposure history and the results from the tests listed below.

• Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) -- This test involves a series of breathing maneuvers that measure the airflow and volume of air in your lungs. This allows your doctor to objectively assess the function of your lungs.
• High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) -- This is a special type of CT scan that provides your doctor with high-resolution images of your lungs. These images are extremely valuable in determining which type of ILD you have. Having a HRCT is no different than having a regular CT scan; they both are performed on an open-air table and take only a few minutes.
• Six-Minute Walk Testing -- This test is a formal evaluation of the distance you can walk and the oxygen saturations (measured by finger or ear probe) you achieve while walking. This is an important marker of functional status used by your doctor in managing your condition.
• Bronchoscopy -- This test involves the passage of a flexible fiberoptic scope about the diameter of a pencil into the lungs to obtain fluid and sometimes tissue samples to aid in diagnosis. This test is an outpatient procedure, which means you do not have to stay overnight in the hospital, performed by your doctor.
• In some cases in which test results suggest more than one diagnosis, a surgical lung biopsy may be recommended. This test is required for some patients to definitively diagnose the cause of their lung disease. Surgical lung biopsy is usually performed with small tools and cameras through three-four inch long incisions. The procedure is performed by a cardiothoracic surgeon and requires a few days stay in the hospital.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007