Honeycomb lung: history and current concepts.

Abstract

Originally used to describe the macroscopic appearance of various pathologic processes with multiple cysts, honeycomb lung is now the term used to describe endstage pulmonary fibrosis. The purpose of this article is to discuss the history and imaging of honeycomb lung. Honeycomb lung is considered one of the important CT findings in usual interstitial pneumonia. An additional challenge for radiologists is that different pathologic processes can mimic honeycomb lung. Therefore, a precise understanding of honeycomb lung is necessary.