Hello doctor, I had taken a lung x-ray for my annual check-up. The result is: Mid lung fibrosis noted. Rest of the lung is clear. Thoracic scoliosis noted. Heart, costopherenic sulci, and other structures are intact. I am concerned about mid lung fibrosis and thoracic scoliosis. Will they seriously affect my health? What is the cure for them?
Hello. Please clarify whether it is mid or mild lung fibrosis reported. As you said, the chest x-ray reports mid or mild lung fibrosis, it is suggestive of some old infection or some autoimmune disease causing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Even you could not have remembered. If you know, definitely it is due to some old lung infection. So nothing to worry about it as long as you do not have any symptoms. But if you experience cough with expectoration, cold, and fever, then you should check your sputum test. Accordingly, medicines can be prescribed if required. Mostly we are worried about infection with tuberculosis. If your sputum test is positive for TB (tuberculosis), then you should take regular antitubercular medicines full course under the supervision of your doctor. If not TB, then you should not worry about anything. Only antibiotics are sufficient for curing common infections. To rule out IPF, you should get done HRCT (high resolution computed tomography) scan chest for some underlying autoimmune interstitial lung disease. About your second query, scoliosis is the abnormal lateral curving of the thoracic spine. It suggests underlying osteoporosis or any other bone problem in the thoracic spine. In advanced age, it is common to have slight scoliosis in the spine due to various reasons. So again, there is nothing to worry about it. You do not need any treatment for your problem until some infection or cause of fibrosis is proved out. Any infection or advanced age or some spine disease. Sputum AFB (acid-fast bacillus) test and culture, HRCT (high resolution computed tomography) scan thorax to rule out IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis). Old TB (tuberculosis) or IPF or ILD (interstitial lung disease). Depends upon the CT (computed tomography) scan and sputum reports.