Honeycomb pattern indicates ARDS?

Honeycomb pattern indicates ARDS?

• A. Asthma
• B. Chronic bronchitis
• C. ARDS
• D. Pneumothorax

Answer: (C)

A honeycomb pattern on imaging reflects fibrotic remodeling of the lung with clustered cystic air spaces, indicating end-stage interstitial fibrosis. In ARDS, the initial diffuse alveolar damage can heal with fibrosis, and the resulting fibrotic changes may appear as a honeycomb pattern on CT. This makes the finding most consistent with ARDS among the choices, since asthma and chronic bronchitis are primarily inflammatory airway diseases with different imaging features (airway thickening, mucus plugging, hyperinflation) and pneumothorax presents as a collapsed lung with a pleural line rather than fibrotic honeycombing.

A honeycomb pattern on imaging reflects fibrotic remodeling of the lung with clustered cystic air spaces, indicating end-stage interstitial fibrosis. In ARDS, the initial diffuse alveolar damage can heal with fibrosis, and the resulting fibrotic changes may appear as a honeycomb pattern on CT. This makes the finding most consistent with ARDS among the choices, since asthma and chronic bronchitis are primarily inflammatory airway diseases with different imaging features (airway thickening, mucus plugging, hyperinflation) and pneumothorax presents as a collapsed lung with a pleural line rather than fibrotic honeycombing.