Introduction
Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a diverse group of conditions of various etiologies that result in inflammatory degenerative changes within the pulmonary parenchyma that usually does not communicate directly with the airways.
Possible etiologies include inflammatory or infectious causes, toxins (paraquat), neoplasia, immune-mediated, and idiopathic. Resultantly, the outcomes may vary from complete resolution to death or euthanasia. ILDs can be challenging to diagnose, due to difficulty in obtaining representative samples non-invasively. Definitive diagnosis is based on radiographs, computed tomography, endoscopy, fine-needle lung aspirate, and lung biopsy. Adjunctive tests such as fecal flotation, heartworm antigen, echocardiography, and NT-ProBNP may also be of use in some cases. Unfortunately, many ILDs are frustrating to manage and markedly affect quality of life, often necessitating euthanasia.
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