HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Michael E. Halkos Faraz Kerendi Daniel L. Miller Joseph I. Miller, Jr Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Halkos, M. E. Articles by Miller, J. I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Halkos, M. E. Articles by Miller, J. I., Jr Related Collections Lung - other

Ann Thorac Surg 2005;79:2172-2179
© 2005 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Review

Role of Thoracic Surgeons in the Diagnosis of Idiopathic Interstitial Lung Disease

^a Section of General Thoracic Surgery, Joseph B. Whitehead Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
^b Department of Laboratory Medicine and Anatomic Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

^_* Address reprint requests to Dr Miller, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Medical Office Tower, 6th Floor, 550 Peachtree St, Atlanta, GA 30308 (E-mail: jmille6331{at}aol.com).

The interstitial lung disorders are a heterogenous group of pulmonary disorders in which the interstitium is the predominant tissue type involved in the disease process. The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias represent a subgroup of these disorders that can be distinguished by unique clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features. Recent changes have been made in the classification system, with important distinctions between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the other idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. Surgical lung biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis. However, controversy exists regarding the methods and indications for biopsy. In this article, we review the salient clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features of these unique disorders as well as the updated classification scheme. We also discuss the current methods, approaches, and indications for biopsy.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. H. Ryu, C. E. Daniels, T. E. Hartman, and E. S. Yi Diagnosis of Interstitial Lung Diseases Mayo Clin. Proc., August 1, 2007; 82(8): 976 - 986. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Thomas, K. A. Risma, T. B. Graham, A. S. Brody, G. H. Deutsch, L. R. Young, and P. M. Joseph A Kindred of Children With Interstitial Lung Disease Chest, July 1, 2007; 132(1): 221 - 230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]