Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) differs substantially from other idiopathic interstitial pneumonias regarding disease trajectory and the appropriate management strategies, making meticulous diagnosis essential. However, patient characteristics and clinical practice vary between clinical trials, and real life and registries provide the opportunity to critically analyse current clinical practices in order to ultimately improve patient care.
Methods: We aimed to identify characteristics of our baseline IPF cohort at initiation of a web-based registry for patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.
Objectives: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lethal chronic lung disease with unclear pathogenesis. Radiological hallmark is the pattern of usual interstitial pneumonia accentuated in peripheral and basal areas with otherwise preserved lung structure. One hypothesis is that alveolar collapse and consequent induration lead to fibrotic transformation of lung tissue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF