It has been reported that some patients have been misdiagnosed with Idiopathic Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonia, when in fact the correct diagnosis in their specific case was Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is scar tissue in the lungs that causes difficulty breathing. There is no known cause to the disease and symptoms include shortness of breath, persistant dry cough, tiredness, loss of appetite and clubbed fingers. As these are symptoms shared with many respiratory fibrosis’s from known causes but also diseases such as connective tissue disorders, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asbestosis, and drug induced lung diseases. Correct diagnosis is important as patient’s with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis usually only survive for 2.5 to 5 years after diagnosis and the only potential treatment is a lung transplant.