Management of interstitial lung diseases: A consensus statement of the Indian Chest Society (ICS) and National College of Chest Physicians (NCCP)

Canadian Association of Radiologists Thoracic Imaging Referral Guideline

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Thoracic Expert Panel consists of radiologists, respirologists, emergency and family physicians, a patient advisor, and an epidemiologist/guideline methodologist. After developing a list of 24 clinical/diagnostic scenarios, a rapid scoping review was undertaken to identify systematically produced referral guidelines that provide recommendations for one or more of these clinical/diagnostic scenarios. Recommendations from 30 guidelines and contextualization criteria in the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) for guidelines framework were used to develop 48 recommendation statements across the 24 scenarios. This guideline presents the methods of development and the referral recommendations for screening/asymptomatic individuals, non-specific chest pain, hospital admission for non-thoracic conditions, long-term care admission, routine pre-operative imaging, post-interventional chest procedure, upper respiratory tract infection, acute exacerbation of asthma, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, suspect pneumonia, pneumonia follow-up, immunosuppressed patient with respiratory symptoms/febrile neutropenia, chronic cough, suspected pneumothorax (non-traumatic), clinically suspected pleural effusion, hemoptysis, chronic dyspnea of non-cardiovascular origin, suspected interstitial lung disease, incidental lung nodule, suspected mediastinal lesion, suspected mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and elevated diaphragm on chest radiograph.

Interstitial lung disease: a review of classification, etiology, epidemiology, clinical diagnosis, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) refer to a heterogeneous and complex group of conditions characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, or both, in the interstitium of the lungs. This results in impaired gas exchange, leading to a worsening of respiratory symptoms and a decline in lung function. While the etiology of some ILDs is unclear, most cases can be traced back to factors such as genetic predispositions, environmental exposures (including allergens, toxins, and air pollution), underlying autoimmune diseases, or the use of certain medications. There has been an increase in research and evidence aimed at identifying etiology, understanding epidemiology, improving clinical diagnosis, and developing both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in the field of interstitial lung diseases.

Clinicoradiological profile of interstitial lung diseases at a tertiary care center in Northern India: An eight-year study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a varied group of disorders that have been clubbed together due to some common attributes. The data is abundant from the developed world. However, the developing countries have gradually amassed the knowledge of these disorders and epidemiological data is still missing. We aimed to profile the ILD patients at our center.

METHODS

All ILD patients above the age of 14 years were included in the study. A detailed history, examination, exercise capacity assessment, pulmonary function test and relevant serological investigations were done. Tissue was obtained wherever possible. Diagnosis was made after discussion from concerned specialists.

RESULTS

Among the total 884 subjects recruited, 54% were females with a mean age of 53 years. Most were residents of rural areas. Reticulations and traction bronchiectasis was seen in most subjects. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis was present in 35.9% and connective-tissue disease related ILD (CTD-ILD) in 30.9%.

CONCLUSION

Most common ILDs at our center are hypersensitivity pneumonitis and CTD-ILD. Reticulations and traction bronchiectasis are the most common findings on HRCT thorax.