title: The role of histology in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an update.
abstract: The diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) currently requires an integrated clinical-radiological-pathological approach in which the histology plays a different role from in the past. The first reason for this change is that non-invasive diagnostic procedures, particularly pulmonary function tests and high resolution computed tomography, have become increasingly competitive with biopsy in providing prognostic information. The other reason is a better appreciation of the limitations of histology: sampling error and interobserver variation. In this review we analyze the reasons for this change of perspective, provide an update on the practical role of histology in the diagnosis of IPF and discuss some of its complications.
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa di Anatomia Patologica, Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova, Viale Risorgimento 80, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy. alberto.cavazza@asmn.re.it
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavazza
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carbonelli
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spaggiari
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paci
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roggeri
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011379:Prognosis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000639:trends; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000639:trends