title: Structured multidisciplinary discussion of HRCT scans for IPF/UIP diagnosis may result in indefinite outcomes.
abstract: Recent ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) have defined key features and specific high-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) patterns for the diagnosis of UIP. The aim is the sorting of patients with suspected IPF into three subgroups, confident, possible or inconsistent with UIP patterns, after a multidisciplinary discussion (MDD). Specialists in respiratory diseases, radiologists and pathologists should reach IPF diagnosis based on either patients' clinical, radiological and laboratory data, either submitting patients to surgical biopsy. After ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT recommendations have been applied, it has been identified a subgroup of patients showing uniform apical-basal distribution of honeycombing and reticular abnormalities that could not be categorized as confident, or possible nor inconsistent with UIP. These patients were subsequently diagnosed with IPF after MDD and lung biopsy. Inclusion of this pattern in the recommendation for IPF diagnosis would be worth considering.
authors.affiliation: università di Roma Tor Vergata. g_pezzuto@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pezzuto
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Claroni
authors.forename: Ermanno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puxeddu
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavalli
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altobelli
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Portalone
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zompatori
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonetti
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saltini
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergiacomi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*