Definition:
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis involves the scarring of the lung. The air sacs of the lungs gradually become replaced by fibrotic tissue. When the scar forms, the tissue becomes thicker resulting to an irreversible loss of the tissue’s ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream.
Diagnosis:
The definitive diagnosis should be done after a clinical, radiological, and pathological evaluation of the patient, and only after excluding other causes of interstitial lung disease.
Treatment:
There are currently no known effective treatments or a cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis. The pharmacological agents designed to treat lung scarring are still in the experimental phase while the treatments needed to suppress inflammation have only limited success in reducing the fibrotic progress.
Symptoms and Signs:
Some symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis include: shortness of breath; chronic dry, hacking cough; fatigue and weakness; discomfort in the chest; loss of appetite; and rapid weight loss.
Causes:
Traditional theories have suggested that it might be an autoimmune disorder, or the after effects of an infection, viral in nature. There is an increasing body of evidence which points to a genetic predisposition. A mutation in the SP-C protein has been known to exist in families with a history of Pulmonary Fibrosis. The most common thinking is that the fibrotic process is a reaction to microscopic injury to the lung.
