Smoking related lung diseases that cause micronodular lung disease
There are two smoking-related lung diseases that cause a micronodular lung disease: Langerhans cell histiocytosis and respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease. Langerhans cell histiocytosis may also produce a nodular pattern of interstitial lung disease. In most cases, pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis is associated with a history of smoking and typically manifests as persistent cough or dyspnea or both in young and middle-aged adults. In the early stages of disease, the patient develops small nodular areas of interstitial fibrosis. As the disorder progresses, cystic lesions may develop in association with an obstructive lung disease. Respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease is a smoking-related disease that manifests as very fine nodules on chest CT. This micronodular disease cannot be seen on chest radiographs but can occasionally be a cause for chronic respiratory disability.
