Dados norte-americanos mostram que no ano de 2000, a indústria de medicamentos financiou mais de 314.000 eventos para médicos, desde jantares até finais de semana em lugares interessantes, ao custo de quase dois bilhões de dólares. Isto levanta a questão do conflito de interesse (COI).

Respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease is one of many within the spectrum of smoking-related diffuse infiltrative lung diseases. The clinical and functional characteristics are typically subtle. Herein, we describe two cases of diagnosed through open-lung biopsy, and characterized by insidious evolution of dyspnea, digital clubbing, cystic lesions on computed tomography scans, and hipoxemia upon exertion. We emphasize that, when smokers are evaluated, it is imprtant to consider a diagnosis of respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease in the context of interstitial cystitis, as well as in that of lymphangioleiomyomatosis, eosinophilic granuloma and idiophatic pulmonary fibrosis.

Keywords: Smoking. Interstitial lung diseases. Bronchiolitis.