MedGen

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, progressive lung disease. This condition causes scar tissue (fibrosis) to build up in the lungs, which makes the lungs unable to transport oxygen into the bloodstream effectively. The disease usually affects people between the ages of 50 and 70. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis belongs to a group of conditions called interstitial lung diseases (also known as ILD), which describes lung diseases that involve inflammation or scarring in the lung.

The most common signs and symptoms of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are shortness of breath and a persistent dry, hacking cough. Many affected individuals also experience a loss of appetite and gradual weight loss. Some people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis develop widened and rounded tips of the fingers and toes (clubbing) resulting from a shortage of oxygen. These features are relatively nonspecific; not everyone with these health problems has idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Other respiratory diseases, some of which are less serious, can cause similar signs and symptoms.

In people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, scarring of the lungs increases over time until the lungs can no longer provide enough oxygen to the body's organs and tissues. Some people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis develop other serious lung conditions, including lung cancer, blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary emboli), pneumonia, or high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs (pulmonary hypertension). Most affected individuals survive 3 to 5 years after their diagnosis. However, the course of the disease is highly variable; some affected people become seriously ill within a few months, while others may live with the disease for a decade or longer.

In most cases, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis occurs in only one person in a family. These cases are described as sporadic. However, a small percentage of people with this disease have at least one other affected family member. When idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis occurs in multiple members of the same family, it is known as familial pulmonary fibrosis. [from MedlinePlus Genetics]

Replacement of normal lung tissues by fibroblasts and collagen. [from HPO]

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) comprises a heterogeneous group of rare diseases affecting the distal part of the lung and characterized by a progressive remodeling of the alveolar interstitium. The manifestations form a spectrum ranging from idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) or pneumonitis to the more severe idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). IPF is associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer, which occurs in a subset of patients with ILD. Clinical features of ILD include dyspnea, clubbing of the fingers, and restrictive lung capacity. Imaging typically shows ground glass opacities and inter- and intraseptal thickening, while histologic studies usually show a pattern consistent with 'usual interstitial pneumonia' (UIP) (review by Gross and Hunninghake, 2001; summary by Legendre et al., 2020). Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is one of a family of idiopathic pneumonias sharing clinical features of shortness of breath, radiographically evident diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, and varying degrees in inflammation, fibrosis, or both on lung biopsy. In some cases, the disorder can be rapidly progressive and characterized by sequential acute lung injury with subsequent scarring and end-stage lung disease. Although older studies included several forms of interstitial pneumonia under the term 'idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,' the clinical label of 'idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis' should be reserved for patients with a specific form of fibrosing interstitial pneumonia referred to as usual interstitial pneumonia (Gross and Hunninghake, 2001). It is estimated that 0.5 to 2.2% of cases of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are familial (Marshall et al., 2000). Gross and Hunninghake (2001) reviewed idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, emphasizing definition, pathogenesis, diagnosis, natural history, and therapy. Antoniou et al. (2004) provided a 'top ten list' of references pertaining to etiopathogenesis, prognosis, diagnosis, therapy, and other aspects of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of ILD, see ILD1 (619611). Pulmonary fibrosis can also be a feature in patients with mutations in the TERT (187270) or the TERC (602322) gene; see PFBMFT1 (614742) and PFBMFT2 (614743). Some patients with surfactant protein C deficiency (610913) who survive to adulthood manifest features of pulmonary fibrosis. [from OMIM]

A benign or malignant neoplasm (tumor) originating in the vascular system. [from HPO]