“What is pulmonary fibrosis?”
I've been having serious trouble breathing recently, and my doctor is exploring whether I could have pulmonary fibrosis. I've never heard of this before. What is pulmonary fibrosis? Is it serious?
1 Answer
Dear patient,
I'm responding to your inquiry about the diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis. The use of this terminology is sometimes confusing. The term is often used by radiologists to describe some sort of non-specific scarring of the lungs. This scarring could be the result of an old injury to the lungs from pneumonia, or an exposure to harmful chemicals, or an inflammation from autoimmune illnesses. This scarring may be stable and not progressive in nature, in which case there would be no need for any treatment or intervention, just monitoring. However, there are situations where the pulmonary fibrosis could be due to a more serious condition called interstitial pneumonitis, which comes in different types. One of those types, also known as IPF or Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, is a progressive lung scarring illness which, IF NOT TREATED, could lead to respiratory failure and death within a few years of diagnosis. It is extremely important to determine whether you have that particular type of fibrosis because if you do, treatment should be started immediately to prevent the progression of the illness. The diagnosis is made by performing an imaging study called HRCT, or high-resolution CT scan, of the chest. In most cases, if done at the right facility and read by an experienced radiologist, HRCT can establish the diagnosis of the type of pulmonary fibrosis that you have without the need for any further intervention like a lung biopsy or any other invasive procedure. As I said before, if the diagnosis of IPF is made, it is imperative that you start treatment ASAP to prevent the progression of the illness EVEN IF YOU CURRENTLY FEEL WELL. The treatment is for life and your doctor currently has the choice between 2 different products that are on the market. Those products have been approved in 2014 and their approval has made a tremendous impact on the treatment of this otherwise terminal condition. Thanks to this treatment, patients with this condition are now able to live a normal life and to prevent the progression of the lung scarring process. Make sure you get referred by your primary to a pulmonologist who is familiar with this condition and its treatment, and to get your HRCT done at the proper facility.
I hope this information was helpful to you and I wish you all the luck.
Sincerely,
Elie Mansour, MD, FCCP
I'm responding to your inquiry about the diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis. The use of this terminology is sometimes confusing. The term is often used by radiologists to describe some sort of non-specific scarring of the lungs. This scarring could be the result of an old injury to the lungs from pneumonia, or an exposure to harmful chemicals, or an inflammation from autoimmune illnesses. This scarring may be stable and not progressive in nature, in which case there would be no need for any treatment or intervention, just monitoring. However, there are situations where the pulmonary fibrosis could be due to a more serious condition called interstitial pneumonitis, which comes in different types. One of those types, also known as IPF or Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, is a progressive lung scarring illness which, IF NOT TREATED, could lead to respiratory failure and death within a few years of diagnosis. It is extremely important to determine whether you have that particular type of fibrosis because if you do, treatment should be started immediately to prevent the progression of the illness. The diagnosis is made by performing an imaging study called HRCT, or high-resolution CT scan, of the chest. In most cases, if done at the right facility and read by an experienced radiologist, HRCT can establish the diagnosis of the type of pulmonary fibrosis that you have without the need for any further intervention like a lung biopsy or any other invasive procedure. As I said before, if the diagnosis of IPF is made, it is imperative that you start treatment ASAP to prevent the progression of the illness EVEN IF YOU CURRENTLY FEEL WELL. The treatment is for life and your doctor currently has the choice between 2 different products that are on the market. Those products have been approved in 2014 and their approval has made a tremendous impact on the treatment of this otherwise terminal condition. Thanks to this treatment, patients with this condition are now able to live a normal life and to prevent the progression of the lung scarring process. Make sure you get referred by your primary to a pulmonologist who is familiar with this condition and its treatment, and to get your HRCT done at the proper facility.
I hope this information was helpful to you and I wish you all the luck.
Sincerely,
Elie Mansour, MD, FCCP
