Via practica 2/2015
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis – emerging therapeutic options
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease with bad prognosis similar to malignant conditions. The diagnosis of IPF requires the presence of usual interstitial pneumonia pattern on high-resolution computed tomography or surgical lung biopsy. The natural history may be stable, slow or rapid progressive, or with episodes of acute worsening often with fatal end. The pharmacologic treatment with corticosteroids and immunomodulator therapy is without proven benefit and is not recommended. The new studies with pirfenidone and nintedanib showed significant reduction in lung function decline.
Keywords: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, usual interstitial pneumonia, pirfenidone, nintedanib.
