Progressive Fibrosis in Interstitial Lung Diseases—Proposed Definition and Management

Interstitial lung diseases may have an unpredictably progressive course, which is manifested as progression of pulmonary fibrosis, causing an increasing impairment of lung function affecting a poor prognosis. The possibility of an effective antifibrotic treatment is a chance for patients to slow down the progression of the disease, perhaps even extend their life. For this reason, standardization of the definition as well as identification criteria for progressive fibrosis interstitial lung disease is a method for optimizing the management in this group of patients.