Honeycombing
Honeycombing is a pattern seen on chest imaging where the lung tissue shows clustered small cystic spaces, indicating advanced scarring (fibrosis).
When to get help quickly: Sudden worsening of breathlessness, low oxygen, fever, or chest pain in someone with known fibrosis may signal an exacerbation and needs prompt review.
Common symptoms
The underlying lung condition often causes a dry cough, breathlessness on exertion that gets worse over time, and reduced exercise tolerance.
When imaging helps
Imaging confirms the pattern, shows where in the lungs it is concentrated, and helps narrow the cause of the underlying fibrosis.
What radiology does
High-resolution CT of the chest is the best test; the pattern and distribution help separate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis from other causes.
What usually happens next
Management depends on the underlying disease — antifibrotic medications, treatment of associated conditions, pulmonary rehabilitation, and sometimes lung transplantation.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.