Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Definition
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is scarring or thickening of the lungs without a known cause.
Alternative Names
Idiopathic diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis; IPF; Pulmonary fibrosis; Cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis; CFA; Fibrosing alveolitis; Usual interstitial pneumonitis; UIPCauses
No one knows what causes pulmonary fibrosis or why some people get it. It causes the lungs to become scarred and stiffened. This stiffening makes it increasingly difficult to breathe. In some people the disease gets worse quickly (over months to a few years), but other people have little worsening of the disease over time.
The condition is believed to result from an inflammatory response to an unknown substance. "Idiopathic" means no cause can be found. The disease occurs most often in people between 50 - 70 years old.
References
Goldman L, Ausiello D.Goldman: Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2007.
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