Resolving the Scar of Pulmonary Fibrosis

Fibrosis, or scarring, of the lung is a common consequence of certain types of pneumonias, and in such cases it is a localized and self-limited process. However, in conditions such as the complex group of disorders termed the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias, pulmonary fibrosis may be a progressive and diffuse process.1 The current classification scheme for idiopathic interstitial pneumonias is based on a combination of clinical, histopathological, and radiographic features.1 The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias may be related to an underlying connective-tissue disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma, or they may be caused by unknown factors, in which case the disease . . .