Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are non-infective, non-malignant infiltrations of the lung parenchyma—affecting the alveoli and the interstitium between alveoli and pulmonary capillaries—by cellular and extracellular material, producing a restrictive lung function pattern (reduced FEV1 and FVC with a preserved or increased FEV1/FVC ratio and reduced total lung capacity). This concept belongs to pulmonology/respiratory medicine, categorizing ILDs by etiology (idiopathic or connective-tissue-associated pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sarcoidosis, pneumoconiosis, and rare distinct entities), with the unifying principle that severe or aggressive forms across categories can converge on a common end-stage fibrotic pattern.
Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are non-infective, non-malignant infiltrations of the lung parenchyma—affecting the alveoli and the interstitium between alveoli and pulmonary capillaries—by cellula…