Summary

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common term that includes over 130 chronic lung disorders. The lung is affected in three ways: the tissue is damaged; the walls of the air sacs become inflamed; and scarring (or fibrosis) begins in the interstitium. Breathlessness during exercise is one of the initial symptoms. A dry cough may also be present. Different types of ILD may create the same kind of symptoms which may vary in severity. The common link between the many forms of ILD is that they all begin with inflammation. The inflammation may affect different parts of the lung. Inflammation of these parts may heal or may lead to permanent scarring of the lung tissue. The level of disability that a person experiences depends on the amount of scarring. Clinical Atlas of Interstitial Lung Disease represents a complete and comprehensive visual representation of the disease. It is a true pictorial supplement to the numerous monographs and texts on the topic.