Open AccessTowards a better diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Author(s) -
Dominique Valeyre
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
european respiratory review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.565
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1600-0617
pISSN - 0905-9180
DOI - 10.1183/09059180.00001611
Subject(s) - medicine , idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis , usual interstitial pneumonia , lung biopsy , interstitial lung disease , pathological , context (archaeology) , high resolution computed tomography , idiopathic interstitial pneumonia , radiology , lung , biopsy , interstitial pneumonia , fibrosis , pathology , computed tomography , paleontology , biology
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias, and poses significant clinical challenges. IPF diagnosis is based on clear-cut computed tomography (CT) and histopathological criteria, in an appropriate clinical context. The diagnostic criteria include: 1) exclusion of known causes of interstitial lung disease (including connective tissue disease); 2) usual interstitial pneumonia pattern on high-resolution CT in patients not subjected to surgical lung biopsy; and 3) specific combinations of high-resolution CT with pathological patterns in case of surgical lung biopsy. Improved diagnosis of IPF may help physicians to reduce the delay before an accurate diagnosis is made and increase patient awareness and access to adequate information, follow-up and treatment.