Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Jun 14;6(2):51.
doi: 10.3390/medsci6020051.

Prognosis and Follow-Up of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Estrella Fernández Fabrellas  1 , Ricardo Peris Sánchez  2 , Cristina Sabater Abad  3 , Gustavo Juan Samper  4
Affiliations
Review

Prognosis and Follow-Up of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Estrella Fernández Fabrellas et al. Med Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a devastating progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD) with no known cause, is the most common and deadly of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. With a median survival of 3⁻5 years following diagnosis, IPF is characterized by a progressive decline in lung function and quality of life in most patients. Prognostic factors recognized classically that influence mortality include functional, clinical and radiological parameters. However, in recent years, there has also been progress in the knowledge of genetic factors and biomarkers that may be useful in the prognostic evaluation of these patients. On the other hand, the monitoring of the disease throughout its evolution is key to improving the prognosis of the patients, as it allows for taking therapeutic measures based on this evolution, even early remission for lung transplantation. This article reviews the main prognostic factors of the disease, as well as the most useful way to monitor the disease follow-up.

Keywords: follow-up; idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; monitoring; prognostic factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Lamas D.J., Kawut S.M., Bagiella E., Philip N., Arcasoy S.M., Lederer D.J. Delayed Access and Survival in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. A Cohort Study. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2011;184:842–847. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201104-0668OC. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Raghu G., Collard H.R., Egan J.J., Martinez F.J., Behr J., Brown K.K., Colby T.V., Cordier J.F., Flaherty K.R., Lasky J.A., et al. An Official ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT Statement: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Evidence-based guidelines for diagnosis and management. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2011;183:788–824. doi: 10.1164/rccm.2009-040GL. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Selman M., Carrillo G., Estrada A., Mejia M., Becerril C., Cisneros J., Gaxiola M., Pérez-Padilla R., Navarro C., Richards T., et al. Accelerated variant of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. PLoS ONE. 2007;2:e482. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000482. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nadrous H.F., Pellikka P.A., Krowka M.J., Swanson K.L., Chaowalit N., Decker P.A., Ryu J.H. Pulmonary hypertension in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Chest. 2005;128:2393–2399. doi: 10.1378/chest.128.4.2393. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Nathan S.D., Shlobin O.A., Barnett S.D., Saggar R., Belperio J.A., Ross D.J., Ahmad S., Saggar R., Libre E., Lynch J.P., 3rd, et al. Right ventricular systolic pressure by echocardiography as a predictor of pulmonary hypertension in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Respir. Med. 2008;102:1305–1310. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2008.03.022. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources