Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a term that groups together more than 200 types of lung disorders. All ILD diagnoses involve inflammation and scarring (fibrosis) in the lungs.
ILD can cause shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, weight loss and pain. It can be related to allergic exposure, environmental exposure, autoimmune disease or other causes. It can also have no known cause, which is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (or IPF). Without treatment, ILD worsens over time and can cause life-threatening complications.
If you were diagnosed with lung disease, it's important to see an experienced specialist. An accurate ILD diagnosis leads to an individualized treatment plan that helps you breathe easier.
ILD Diagnosis: Why Choose Penn Medicine
When you come to Penn for ILD diagnosis, you're seen by leading experts with access to the most advanced technology. Our patients receive accurate and detailed diagnoses, leading to the most effective treatment plans. At the Penn ILD and Sarcoidosis Program, you'll find:
- Experienced, specialized team: At Penn, you don't just see a doctor — you see a whole team. Your diagnostic team includes pulmonologists, chest radiologists, lung pathologists and nurses who specialize in interstitial lung disease. They collaborate with medical geneticists and surgeons who specialize in these conditions. Our experts often review your case together to make sure you get the right diagnosis.
- Focus on noninvasive diagnosis: We see patients with ILD every day, so we recognize the patterns. We use the most advanced technology to get detailed images of your lungs. These images are then reviewed by expert radiologists. We also perform specific blood tests to diagnose certain rare lung diseases. This means we can often make an accurate diagnosis without invasive surgical biopsy.
- Network of specialists: Tests for ILD may reveal other problems in your lungs or other body systems that require medical attention, such as autoimmune diseases and pulmonary hypertension. Our extensive network of specialists means you'll always have access to state-of-the-art treatment for all of your needs. We work with top experts in Penn Medicine's Lung Nodule Program and Lung Cancer Program to provide comprehensive care. We will work together to find the right ILD treatment for you.
How Is Interstitial Lung Disease Diagnosed?
During your initial visit, your team will ask questions about your medical history, exposures, family history and symptoms. Then, your ILD specialist may order some tests.
Bloodwork
Some blood tests can help identify other conditions or causes of inflammation (such as autoimmune disease) that are causing symptoms or scarring the lungs.
High-Resolution CT Chest Scan
A computed tomography (CT) scan is a series of X-rays taken at different angles and combined on a computer. At Penn, we use high-resolution CT technology to take very detailed pictures of your lungs. These clear images can show the location and severity of any abnormalities, which helps us make the most accurate diagnosis.
Our team has extensive expertise interpreting lung CT scans. Based on your symptoms, exam findings, bloodwork and CT images, we can often make an accurate ILD diagnosis without surgery to test the lung tissue.
Pulmonary Function Tests
To measure how well your lungs are working, your team may perform lung function tests (pulmonary function tests), such as:
- Exercise test: During this pulmonary function test, you walk at your normal pace for six minutes. Your heart rate, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure, and the distance you walked are all recorded.
- Spirometry, lung volumes and diffusion capacity: This test measures how much air you can breathe and how easily and quickly you can blow the air out. Your team will ask you to exhale into a tube connected to a machine.
Lung Biopsy
There are sometimes different options to obtain a diagnosis, so we will seek your input to determine the right path for you. And our specialists often present cases at an ILD multidisciplinary conference to discuss the best approach. The team includes pulmonology physicians, thoracic radiologists and lung pathologists. This helps ensure that an invasive procedure is performed only when necessary.
If we can't diagnose ILD from imaging alone, you may need a biopsy. In this procedure, your doctor takes a small sample of tissue from your lung and sends it to a lab.
There are a few ways the team can take a bit of tissue for testing. We use the least invasive method possible to avoid complications and keep you more comfortable.
- Bronchoscopy: For this procedure, an expert interventional pulmonologist inserts a thin, flexible tube through your mouth or your nose. They advance the tube into your lung and collect a tiny sample of tissue. We also may use advanced techniques such as cryobiopsy and genomic testing to make a more accurate diagnosis.
- Surgical biopsy: To get a larger piece of tissue, your team may recommend surgery. You will be under general anesthesia while a Penn thoracic surgeon makes several small incisions in your chest near your lungs. The surgeon uses a camera to guide a surgical instrument into your lung and remove a tissue sample.
After a biopsy, a pathologist specialized in ILD looks at the sample for signs of disease and the multidisciplinary team reviews the report to make the most accurate diagnosis.
Make an Appointment
Please call 800-789-7366 or request a callback.