Acute exacerbations in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

ABSTRACT: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, fibrosing interstitial lung disease that primarily affects older adults. Median survival after diagnosis is 2-3 years. The clinical course of IPF may include periods of acute deterioration in respiratory function, which are termed acute exacerbations of IPF (AEx-IPF) when a cause cannot be identified. AEx-IPF may represent a sudden acceleration of the underlying disease process of IPF, or a biologically distinct pathological process that is clinically undiagnosed. An AEx-IPF can occur at any time during the course of IPF and may be the presenting manifestation. The incidence of AEx-IPF is hard to establish due to variation in the methodology used to assess AEx-IPF in different studies, but AEx-IPF are believed to occur in between 5 and 10%

SUBMITTER: Kim DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3765544 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature