DAD is characterized by a diffuse inflammation of lung parenchyma.

In 38 patients endoscopy showed focal abnormalities or signs of diffuse inflammation of the duodenal bulb.

Sometimes diffuse inflammation results in complete loss of villi, involvement of multiple layers, submucosal oedema and fibrosis.

Rigid sigmoidoscopy showed pronounced diffuse inflammation with multiple superficial ulceration and a biopsy confirmed severe proctitis (Fig 1).

Cellulitis is a diffuse inflammation of connective tissue with severe inflammation of dermal and subcutaneous layers of the skin.

For example, if the patient was a man living in New Mexico, 18 to 30 years old, with flulike symptoms and an abnormal chest X-ray showing a diffuse inflammation, the system would immediately flag it as a possible case of hantavirus, a disease spread by the droppings of rodents in the Southwest.