World Trade Center Health Program best practices for the diagnosis and treatment of fibrosing interstitial lung diseases

Abstract

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a diverse set of related conditions with multiple etiologies, in addition to a group where the cause is unknown. There is concern for a potential association of WTC-related exposures with ILD, but the disease range has not differed from what is observed in the general population, and active investigations to study that association are ongoing. Although these diseases are very diverse, some are extremely rare, and they often are disabling and have a poor prognosis, evidence-based guidelines for their diagnosis, management and long-term monitoring have emerged and will evolve as knowledge and therapeutic options increase. This brief article summarizes pertinent issues of diagnosis and management of ILDs, applicable to the diverse group of ILDs that have been observed in the WTC Health Program covered population.

Keywords:

• Interstitial lung disease
• occupational lung disease
• sarcoidosis
• smoke inhalation injury
• World Trade Center Attack
• 2001

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the comments from the clinicians of the WTC HP Clinical Centers. This review did not involve human subjects research, and was thus exempt from institutional review board review.

Conflict of  interest

This work was funded in part by grant U01 OH010401 (RED, PI) from the Centers for Disease Control/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC/NIOSH). The authors have no other relevant financial conflict of interest. The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC/NIOSH.