This text addresses the issues and diagnostic criteria in segregating a reactive process from adenocarcinoma, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma from poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma from other types of neuroendocrine tumors, large cell carcinoma from large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, spindle cell/sarcomatoid carcinoma from sarcomatoid mesothelioma, and carcinoma from epithelioid mesothelioma in small biopsy specimens. It also discusses key features useful for differentiating usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern from non-UIP patterns of ILD such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, and organizing pneumonia patterns in wedge biopsy specimens as well as highlights the differential diagnosis in the granulomatous inflammation.
As a whole, this text answers many of the difficult questions relevant to daily practice of lung pathology. Each chapter addresses a specific diagnostic question significantly related to patients' treatment options.