TY - JOUR T1 - Spectrum of childhood interstitial and diffuse lung diseases at a tertiary hospital in Egypt JF - ERJ Open Research JO - erjor DO - 10.1183/23120541.00880-2020 VL - 7 IS - 2 SP - 00880-2020 AU - Salma G. Abdelhady AU - Eman M. Fouda AU - Malak A. Shaheen AU - Faten A. Ghazal AU - Ahmed M. Mostafa AU - Ahmed M. Osman AU - Andrew G. Nicholson AU - Heba M. Hamza Y1 - 2021/04/01 UR - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/7/2/00880-2020.abstract N2 - Background Childhood interstitial and diffuse lung diseases (chILD) encompass a broad spectrum of rare pulmonary disorders. In most developing Middle Eastern countries, chILD is still underdiagnosed. Our objective was to describe and investigate patients diagnosed with chILD in a tertiary university hospital in Egypt.Methods We analysed data of consecutive subjects (aged <18 years) referred for further evaluation at the Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University (Cairo, Egypt). Diagnosis of chILD was made in accordance with the ChILD-EU criteria. The following information was obtained: demographic data, clinical characteristics, chest computed tomography findings, laboratory studies, spirometry, bronchoalveolar lavage and histopathology findings.Results 22 subjects were enrolled over 24 months. Median age at diagnosis was 7 years (range 3.5–14 years). The most common manifestations were dyspnoea (100%), cough (90.9%), clubbing (95.5%) and tachypnoea (90.9%). Systematic evaluation led to the following diagnoses: hypersensitivity pneumonitis (n=3), idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (n=4), chILD related to chronic granulomatous disease (n=3), chILD related to small airways disease (n=3), post-infectious chILD (n=2), Langerhans cell histiocytosis (n=2), idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis (n=2), granulomatous lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (n=1), systemic sclerosis (n=1) and familial interstitial lung disease (n=1). Among the subjects who completed the diagnostic evaluation (n=19), treatment was changed in 13 (68.4%) subjects.Conclusion Systematic evaluation and multidisciplinary peer review of chILD patients at our tertiary hospital led to changes in management in 68% of the patients. This study highlights the need for an Egyptian chILD network with genetic testing, as well as the value of collaborating with international groups in improving healthcare for children with chILD.In Egypt, childhood interstitial and diffuse lung diseases (chILD) are still underdiagnosed. Establishment of an Egyptian chILD network with genetic testing is essential to improve healthcare for children diagnosed with chILD. https://bit.ly/385qKsU ER -