Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an algorithmic approach to diagnosis and management

Abstract

AE-IPF is defined as a clinically significant acute respiratory deterioration without a clear aetiology [4]. The currently accepted diagnostic criteria are as follows: previous or concurrent diagnosis of IPF, progressive dyspnoea that has a duration of less than one month, new bilateral ground-glass opacification or/and consolidation superimposed on a background pattern consistent with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) on chest computed tomography (CT) and exclusion of other alternative causes such as heart failure or fluid overload [5].