Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: What primary care physicians need to know

Leslie B Tolle; Brian D Southern; Daniel A Culver; Jeffrey C Horowitz

doi:10.3949/ccjm.85a.17018

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: What primary care physicians need to know

Cleve Clin J Med. 2018 May;85(5):377-386. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.85a.17018.

Authors

Leslie B Tolle^{1

2}, Brian D Southern^{3

2}, Daniel A Culver⁴, Jeffrey C Horowitz⁵

Affiliations

¹ Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. tollel@ccf.org.
² Assistant Professor, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
³ Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁴ Director, Interstitial Lung Disease Program, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁵ Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

PMID: 29733782
DOI: 10.3949/ccjm.85a.17018

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a specific type of fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown cause. It is usually chronic and progressive, tends to affect mainly adults over age 60, has a predilection for men, and is often fatal. The condition is still underappreciated by pulmonologists and primary care physicians. This article attempts to close that information gap by reviewing the natural course of IPF and presenting an algorithmic approach to diagnosis and treatment based on evidence-based international guidelines. New treatment options are briefly discussed, to raise awareness of new medications that target pulmonary fibrosis.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Aged
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Humans
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / diagnosis*
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / therapy*
Male
Middle Aged
Physicians, Primary Care*
Pulmonologists*