Complications in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Focus on Their Clinical and Radiological Features
Federica Galioto,
Stefano Palmucci,
Giovanna M. Astuti,
Ada Vancheri,
Giulio Distefano,
Francesco Tiralongo,
Alessandro Libra,
Giacomo Cusumano,
Antonio Basile,
Carlo Vancheri
Affiliations
Federica Galioto
Radiology Unit 1, Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies—University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia n. 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
Stefano Palmucci
Radiology Unit 1, Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies—University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia n. 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
Giovanna M. Astuti
Radiology Unit 1, Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies—University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia n. 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
Ada Vancheri
Regional Centre for Interstitial and Rare Lung Disease, Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Giulio Distefano
Radiology Unit 1, Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies—University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia n. 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
Francesco Tiralongo
Radiology Unit 1, Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies—University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia n. 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
Alessandro Libra
Regional Centre for Interstitial and Rare Lung Disease, Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Giacomo Cusumano
Regional Centre for Interstitial and Rare Lung Disease, Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Antonio Basile
Radiology Unit 1, Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies—University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia n. 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
Carlo Vancheri
Regional Centre for Interstitial and Rare Lung Disease, Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fibrotic lung disease with uncertain origins and pathogenesis; it represents the most common interstitial lung disease (ILD), associated with a pathological pattern of usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP). This disease has a poor prognosis, having the most lethal prognosis among ILDs. In fact, the progressive fibrosis related to IPF could lead to the development of complications, such as acute exacerbation, lung cancer, infections, pneumothorax and pulmonary hypertension. Pneumologists, radiologists and pathologists play a key role in the identification of IPF disease, and in the characterization of its complications—which unfortunately increase disease mortality and reduce overall survival. The early identification of these complications is very important, and requires an integrated approach among specialists, in order to plane the correct treatment. In some cases, the degree of severity of patients having IPF complications may require a personalized approach, based on palliative care services. Therefore, in this paper, we have focused on clinical and radiological features of the complications that occurred in our IPF patients, providing a comprehensive and accurate pictorial essay for clinicians, radiologists and surgeons involved in their management.
