The advent of HRCT and the development of advanced reconstruction algorithms has allowed confident diagnoses of interstitial lung disease without surgical lung biopsy, a significant advancement as lung biopsy confers additional risk.5 A definitive usual interstitial pneumonia pattern on HRCT as interpreted by a radiologist with expertise in interstitial lung disease is sufficient to make an accurate diagnosis as it is predictive of histopathologic UIP.5,41,45 Several studies have shown that the positive predictive value of HRCT for interstitial lung disease is up to 96%.42,43
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (an Update) and Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis in Adults: An Official ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT Clinical Practice Guideline
References
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41. Wells AU. Interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis. Presse Med. 2014;43:e329-e343.
42. Raghu G, Mageto YN, Lockhart D, et al. The accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of new-onset idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung disease: A prospective study. Chest. 1999;116:1168-1174.
43. Hunninghake GW, Zimmerman MB, Schwartz DA, et al. Utility of a lung biopsy for the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;164:193-196.
45. Raghu G, Remy-Jardin M, Myers JL, et al. Diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. An Official ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT Clinical Practice Guideline. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018;198(5):e44-e68.
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- HRCT Technique For Optimal Evaluation of ILD