Overview of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias

[Ernesto]

Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias are interstitial lung diseases that have no known cause that have some similarities in symptoms and how they affect the lungs.

Some types of these diseases are much more serious than others.
Diagnosis requires chest x-rays, computed tomography, and usually analysis of a sample of lung tissue (biopsy).
Treatment depends on the disease type.

(See also Overview of Interstitial Lung Diseases.)
The word idiopathic means of unknown cause, so when the cause of interstitial lung disease is not identified, idiopathic interstitial pneumonia is diagnosed. Pneumonias are often thought of as infections, but these diseases do not appear to result from infection.
There are eight types of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. In decreasing order of frequency, they are

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Desquamative interstitial pneumonia
Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia
Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia
Respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease
Acute interstitial pneumonia
Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia
Idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis

All types cause cough and shortness of breath and affect the lungs similarly. The ends of the fingers may become thick or club-shaped (see figure Recognizing Finger Clubbing). Through a stethoscope, doctors often hear crackling sounds. Although symptoms may be similar, disorders differ in how quickly symptoms develop, how they are treated, and how serious they are.