title: [Diagnosis of ILD].
abstract: The diagnosis of ILD is complex and needs a close collaboration between the pulmologist, the radiologist and the pathologist. However, and most importantly, the general practitioner needs to think about the possibility of ILD if a patient presents with increasing shortness of breath, dry cough and bilateral, basal crackles on lung auscultation. Further work-up by the pulmonologist may confirm and classify the ILD by a detailled patient history, lung function tests, CT scans and bronchoscopy, or even surgical lung biospies, if needed. A multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) is becoming the gold standard in diagnosing ILD and deciding about appropriate treatment, in particular regarding the novel antifibrotic therapies for IPF.
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinik für Pneumologie, Inselspital, Bern.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geiser
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinik für Pneumologie, Inselspital, Bern.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guler
mesh_terms: D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*