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O reconhecimento e o diagnóstico diferencial dos diversos padrões da tomografia computadorizada de alta resolução (TCAR) são de fundamental importância na avaliação das doenças pulmonares difusas. Existem vários padrões de TCAR descritos na literatura, sendo alguns deles superponíveis. A interpretação desses padrões pode ser uma tarefa difícil, particularmente para residentes e radiologistas não especializados em tórax. Os autores ilustram os achados característicos da TCAR nas doenças pulmonares intersticiais crônicas e propõem um modelo simplificado de interpretação desses achados, baseado no padrão e na distribuição da doença. O algoritmo inclui os seis principais padrões de anormalidade identificados na TCAR: septal, reticular, cístico, nodular, de atenuação em vidro fosco e consolidação parenquimatosa. The recognition and differential diagnosis of the various patterns of abnormality seen on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) are important in the evaluation of patients with chronic insterstitial lung diseases. Various patterns of abnormality have been described in the literature, which sometimes are overlapped. Distinction between the various patterns can be difficult particularly for residents and radiologists who are not familiarized with these images. The authors illustrate the characteristic patterns of abnormality seen in chronic interstitial lung diseases and propose a simple interpretation algorithm based on the pattern and distribution of the findings. The algorithm includes the six main patterns of abnormality seen on HRCT: septal lines, reticular pattern, cystic pattern, nodular pattern, ground-glass opacities and consolidation.

The posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a recently proposed cliniconeuroradiologic entity. The most common causes of PRES are hypertensive encephalopathy, eclampsia, cyclosporin A neurotoxicity and the uremic encephalopathies. Most patients are markedly hypertensive at presentation, although some have only mildly elevated or even normal blood pressure. Symptoms may include headache, nausea, vomiting, altered mental status, seizures,stupor, and visual disturbances. On CT and MR studies, edema has been reported in a relatively symmetrical pattern, typically in the subcortical white matter and occasionally in the cortex of the occipital and parietal lobes. These often striking imaging findings usually are resolved on follow-up studies obtained after appropriate therapy. Diffusion-weighted images would not show hyperintense signal because of the presence of interstitial rather than cytotoxic edema. We report a case of PRES due to hypertensive encephalopathy studied by CT and MRI.