Diagnosis of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis in Adult

Publication Date: August 1, 2020
Last Updated: March 14, 2022

Recommendations 

For patients with clinical and radiographic manifestations suggestive of nonfibrotic HP (i.e., patients without radiological and/or histopathological evidence of fibrosis), the guideline committee:
  • makes no recommendation or suggestion for or against the use of a questionnaire to identify potential HP inciting agents and sources. Instead, the guideline committee recommends development and validation of a questionnaire.
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Remark: Pending the availability of a validated questionnaire, the guideline committee advocates that clinicians take a thorough history to identify potential exposures and sources in the patient's environment that are known to be associated with HP.
620
  • suggests performing serum IgG testing that targets potential antigens associated with HP.
(C, VL)
620
  • recommends obtaining bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid for lymphocyte cellular analysis.
(S, VL)
620
  • makes no recommendation or suggestion for or against transbronchial lung cryobiopsy.
(, )
620
  • suggests surgical lung biopsy only when all other diagnostic testing has not yielded a diagnosis.
(C, VL)
620

Overview

Title

Diagnosis of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis in Adults

Authoring Organization

American Thoracic Society