Pulmonary diseases cover a diverse range of neoplastic and non-neoplastic disorders that continue to pose challenges to pathologists on a daily basis. In this special theme issue of Journal of Clinical Pathology, some of the most challenging and topical areas of pulmonary pathology are addressed.

There have been recent significant changes to the classification of lung adenocarcinoma due to an increased understanding of the significance of different histological, genetic and radiological features, particularly in relation to new therapeutic approaches. Kerr1 provides a thorough, insightful and practical overview of the new classification of lung adenocarcinomas. Our understanding of lung cancer, particularly the molecular biology of lung adenocarcinoma, has been revolutionised by the discovery of driver mutations in oncogenes such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ALK that can be inhibited by specific …