Chronic and Progressive | Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis | MedscapeTV

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Pulmonary fibrosis can have a number of etiologies. When tests reveal that there is no direct cause and the disease is progressive, physicians only then assign a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). A chronic disease, IPF has proven difficult to treat effectively, and has traditionally led to poor outcomes.

And it's not rare. Approximately 100,000 patients in the United States are living with IPF, and more than 42,000 are newly diagnosed annually. Mortality rates approximate those of breast cancer. Three quarters of those who develop IPF are men and age is a determining risk factor.

But pulmonologists at Cedars-Sinai and Cleveland Clinic are now better able to diagnose this swiftly progressive and often fatal disease with high- resolution CT scanning. Improved treatment options are also showing promise in improving quality of life and prognosis.