American Thoracic Society releases updated guidelines for IPF diagnosis

The American Thoracic Society and other international respiratory societies released updated guidelines on Aug. 31 for the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), an indication for which there are only two approved therapies.

The guidelines update those published by the societies in 2011. The guidelines conclude that IPF diagnosis must exclude other known causes of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Diagnosis requires the presence of a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in patients without biopsy as well as specific combinations of HRCT and biopsy patterns in patients with biopsy...