Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (a complete tutorial)

This tutorial covers most clinical aspects about idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), in approximately 42 minutes. This is of course not enough to go over all the complexities of this condition, but should at least point you in the right direction.

More specifically, I cover how a diagnosis of IPF is made while ruling out other causes of pulmonary fibrosis and what treatments are currently approved (May 2022).

One of the key takeaway messages from this video is that the label of “idiopathic” should only be given after many other potentially reversible or known causes of pulmonary fibrosis have been ruled out. This is not something to be taken lightly, as the prognosis may be completely different if a known cause (potentially treatable) is found. The more expertise you have as a clinician, the closer you will get to the correct diagnosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a very complex condition and diagnosis and treatment should be agreed as part of a team (after multidisciplinary team discussion – MDD). Contributions from expert ILD radiologists, rheumatologists, pathologists and respiratory specialists are very valuable as part of the MDD.

Here is the video presentation:

Useful links (extra reading mentioned in the video):

1. Pneumotox – check drugs for reported lung toxicity
2. Diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. An Official ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT Clinical Practice Guideline
3. The Clinical Utility of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cellular Analysis in Interstitial Lung Disease

If you enjoyed this tutorial, make sure to check out the rest of the content on this website, such as the sarcoidosis tutorial!