Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in the Practice of a Therapist

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a specific form of chronic progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown etiology that affects only the lungs and is associated with the histological and / or radiological pattern of common interstitial pneumonia. The clinical substrate for IPF is progressive dyspnea and dry cough. The characteristic auscultatory sign of IPF is inspiratory crepitus. Fibrosis is an important morphological component of IPF. The leading CT sign of IPF is a “honeycomb” lung (local air cysts located subpleurally and having similar sizes from 2–3 to 10 mm with clearly delineated walls). Mostly people over 60 years old are ill, often smokers, or with a history of smoking. In 60% of patients, the course of IPF is progressive, death within 5 years in 40% of cases. In 30–50% of cases, IPF requires the exclusion of other forms of interstitial lung disease. To date, it has been established that the basic drugs in the treatment of IPF with proven efficacy are nintedanib and pirfenidone. This article presents a clinical case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a 63-year-old patient who was hospitalized in the pulmonology department. The given example justifies the need for increased vigilance among pulmonologists and general practitioners when interpreting the clinical manifestations of the disease.