pulmonary disorders
Overview of Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias
Key Points
There are 8 histologic subtypes of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. Symptoms, signs, and chest x-ray findings are nonspecific. Diagnose idiopathic interstitial pneumonia initially based primarily on history and high-resolution CT (HRCT). When clinical evaluation and HRCT are not diagnostic, do surgical lung biopsy. Treatment and prognosis vary by subtype. 